Life, Death, and Apples
by MoonSword1994
Summary: Noriko Matsuda is a young genius with a typical life. She lives with her mother, father, and younger brother, has plenty of close friends and is studying to become a detective like her father. Then one day, she is given a dark gift, one that will reveal secrets and memories best left buried. Though it soon becomes evident that not all things can be forgotten or left in a warehouse.
1. Habitual

**A/N: This is a continuation of where the anime Death Note left off. The story will focus primarily on Noriko Matsuda but in future chapters the POVs may shift. I hope you enjoy this story and I look forward to any and all feedback.**

* * *

_Nothing is right. The world I am seeing is grey and void of any life, there is no sign that I am in my own world, something is different, and it thrills me. I can feel the power in this place though it is just an echo, like a voice from a distant memory; it draws me I and does not push me away. I look down a tunnel to my left and I see a shadow forming there, the tendrils of darkness molding into the shape of a person. I cannot make out the face but I watch in amazement as what appears to be a hand stretches out to me as if asking me to join it. Common sense tells me to run in the other direction but something in my soul tells me I should go to it, like it was a part of me. I take a step towards the figure, confident that I would finally find out who it is . . ._

"Noriko!" calls my father from downstairs. "You're going to be late for school if you don't get up now!"

Slowly I rise from my soft bed, lamenting that I have to leave my dreams, but I know it would be pointless to try to return to the world of lifeless grey surroundings and shadow figures. It did not return at my command, even though I have been seeing it since I was a small child, each time it seemed even more real than the time before. It meant something but I had yet to figure out what. Maybe after my entrance exams I could focus my whole attention on examining my dream. I have been putting it off for years; maybe it needed to be looked at properly now.

"I'm coming, Dad!" I yell back as I pull my uniform out of my closet. I look over at my bedside clock and see I have half an hour to get ready if I wanted to make it to school before the last bell. It was too much time, in my opinion.

I go to my bathroom and quickly change into my school clothes before taking care of my morning routine. I try to keep myself on a schedule so I can utilize my time to its full advantage, a philosophy I had adopted since I entered middle school and one that has persisted through high school. Now it is my last year and my schedule is more important than ever. This had more to do with effectiveness of time than actual ritualistic behavior.

After I pull my brown hair back into a ponytail, I look at myself in the mirror, wondering if I would see something new just for the hell of it. Nothing about my appearance is outstanding, at least not to me, and I leave shortly after confirming there was nothing new about me.

When I arrive downstairs I am greeted by the smell of coffee and the sound of my mother humming as she finishes making our lunches. My younger brother Koji is finishing his cereal while my father skims the headlines of the newspaper, probably looking for any mention of any crimes. He is a very dedicated police officer.

"Good morning, Noriko," says my mother as I help myself to some already made toast and tea. "I trust you slept well?"

I nod as I sip my tea. "Yes," I reply when I am able. "Oh, Mom, before I forget. I'm going to the library tonight for my study group and to do some research for my project."

"What's your project about, Nori?" asks Koji between bites of cereal, getting droplets of milk on the table.

"Famous detectives throughout history," I say placidly. "It's for my study of law class, and worth a large portion of my grade."

My father smirks; he has always thought my occupation with my grade point average incredibly strange. "Who are you researching?"

"I've chosen to write about the detective L," I say and immediately notice the weird look that crosses my father's eyes, like he was remembering something better left forgotten.

"I see," he says stiffly. "Well, you've certainly chosen a difficult topic to research, very little is known about L."

"I'm up to the challenge," I say with a small smile. "Speaking of challenges, Koji, what do you say to a game of Ping-Pong tomorrow night?"

Koji looks up at me and grins brightly. "Are you for real, Nori? Aren't you like super busy studying for your entrance exams?" he asks, trying to keep the hope out of his voice. Lately I have been neglecting him when normally we spent at least a couple of hours together on a daily basis, but with my entrance exams coming up, I had to make a choice. At least now I could try to right that wrong.

"Yes, but I took a practice exam last night and the score was what I had expected it to be," I say cheerfully. "I think that entitles me to a night off to spend with my little brother."

His dark eyes light up right away, excitement gleaming in them at just the thought of getting to spend time with me. Even with the seemingly great gap in our ages, we are still very close, closer than most siblings who are nearly the same age.

"Just remember not to get too competitive," says Dad, still looking at the newspaper. "The last time you two played, we had holes in the wall and broken chairs."

"Hey! That was Nori's fault, not mine!" protests Koji though we all know it is a lie.

"Don't put that whole mess on me, Koji," I say, rolling my eyes, "you're the one who dove to try and save the ball and ended up landing on Mom's wicker chair."

Mom and Dad laugh at the look on Koji's face, and I join in with them. He has always been an expressive little boy and the faces he makes are so priceless, it is impossible not to laugh, even if you were the one to cause him to make the face. He is used to this, however, and just brushes it off like it is nothing.

"The bus is here, Koji," says Mom as she hands him his lunchbox. "Run along to school and don't forget, you have tutoring tonight and your father will pick you up on his way home from work."

"Okay, Mom!" calls Koji as he runs out the door, trying to put on both his school blazer and backpack at once.

I pick up my satchel and then my lunch, it was about time for me to go as well. "I should get going, myself," I say, kissing my mother's cheek and then doing the same to my father. "I'll see you later tonight."

"If you're going to miss dinner, please call," says Mom as I retreat from the kitchen. "I'll save something for you, just in case."

"Thanks, Mom, I will!" I call to her as I step out of the front door.

* * *

The walk to and from school is always my favorite part of the day; it means I will have time to think about whatever is on my mind without distractions or other trivialities. My mind drifts back to my dream, I have been having it more and more lately, each time it is more vivid than the last. Is this just the natural progression of the dream or is it something more? It seems to me that there is something more to the dream than just mere appearances, like it is a message of some sort. If it is indeed a message, I will have to decipher it somehow after figuring out what is significant and what is just unnecessary. That will take some time, however, since there are many objects in the dream that might be of some significance. That can wait, until I have graduated and successfully enrolled in university. Above all else, that is my top priority.

"Hey, Noriko!" says someone to my left. When I look, I see it was my friend Sanne.

"Hi, Sanne," I say as she falls into step beside me. I had not realized I had already passed by her house, I guess I had been more absorbed in my thoughts than usual.

"How'd you do on that practice exam?" she asks, as she flicks her red bob of hair so the strays are out of her face. "My score was marked _ryo_ which is good, but I was hoping for something higher."

I chuckle nervously. "Then you probably don't want to hear my score."

Sanne rolls her eyes and nudges me with her elbow. "Your test was marked _shu_, wasn't it?" she asks, knowing full well what my answer would be.

"Yeah," I reply with a small grin. "If that's any indication about what will happen when I take the real exams, I should be just fine."

"Just fine, just fine she says," sighs Sanne dramatically. "She only scored higher than anyone else, that's all. Nothing all that impressive."

"It really isn't," I insist, clutching my satchel strap tightly. "I think it was just dumb luck that my practice exam went that well."

"I bet when you take the real exams, you'll score as high as Light Yagami did, maybe even higher," she continues, blatantly ignoring my protests. "Everyone thought he was going to be some great business man or politician before he disappeared."

Light Yagami, every student's idol though none of us would ever meet him. He and one other student had gotten a nearly perfect score on the entrance exams for To-Oh University over twenty years ago and no one had forgotten, even after he disappeared from the Kanto region. I have always aspired to surpass him, just so I might be immortalized for my achievements though I do not share my wish with anyone else. They would not understand.

"Yeah, well, it's unlikely I'll get a score that perfect," I say dismissively. "Anyway, are we still meeting tonight or are we just going to cram school?"

Sanne shrugs. "I'm not really sure, I guess we should ask Haluk and Parisa, when we get to school. Unless you'd rather ask Haluk . . . in private." She winks at me as I blush.

"That's not necessary," I say, probably a little too quickly. "Besides, it's not like the rest of you don't need this information, Sanne."

"That is true," agrees Sanne though I know she will pick back up on the conversation of my slight crush on Haluk as soon as she is able. "Are you going to come over for dinner afterwards?"

I shake my head. "No, my mom's going to save me something from dinner tonight if I'm late getting home. Anyway, I'm sure your family is tired of hosting me, I've been over there almost every night these last couple of weeks."

Sanne laughs. "Maybe, but Usha likes having you over, means she has someone else to play with instead of me."

"Are you sure Usha likes having me over or is it you, because your little sister leaves you alone so you can talk on the phone?" I ask, raising an eyebrow as I speak.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Nori," she says in a playful tone. "Maybe you should give up your dream of being an investigator, you're not very good at it."

"And you're a terrible liar!" I say, laughing as I nudge her in the arm and she laughs in return.

We are still laughing when we enter our school.

* * *

God, how I hate world religions class. It is just a teacher babbling on and on about religions around the world and how their practices differ from country to country, generation to generation. Currently we are studying cults and organizations outside of normal religious practices, while they are slightly interesting, my mind has wandered back to my dream. Why a grey world? And what could that shadow figure possibly want with me? None of this made any sense, but at the same time it felt so real, how could it not make sense? There had to be something there that I was overlooking, something important. I should check out a book from the library on dreams and symbolism.

"Matsuda," says my teacher, Mr. Irie, his voice dragging me from my thoughts. "What do you believe to be the opinion of those who worship the _tanjokami _on the state of the world?"

I sigh and stand up from my desk. "They would believe that everything is going according to how the _tanjokami_ devised the world, as they are of the belief that the life gods see and record the destinies of the people who inhabit the world."

"Excellently explained," says Mr. Irie as I sit down in my chair once again. "Miss Matsuda is correct, the _tanjokami_ followers would see the world is in its destined state, whereas other groups might want it changed."

"You mean like the followers of Kira?" asks a student from the other side of the classroom.

The room is silent after his words. The student had brought up the touchiest subject in the entire world: the serial killer Kira the Savior. While not formally taught in school, the subject of Kira is often brought up for debate and discussion, as most of us are familiar with the legend. I myself am quite fascinated by the legend as I am sure are many of my classmates, it is hard to believe that one person could bring about such change in the world simply by killing off the world's most notorious criminals. Even though it was reported that he had been caught and executed years ago, unexplained deaths still happen and there is a large underground cult that still worships him.

Mr. Irie looks surprised for a moment before composing himself. "Yes," he says as calmly as if this was just a normal topic of conversation. "Those who still worship Kira would likely describe the world as being in a state of complete chaos. They likely wish that their "god" would return and start passing judgment again. Punishing those who continue to do wrong."

I watch as a look of anger flashes across his typically serene face. The realization hits me like a bolt of lightning: Mr. Irie is a secret worshiper of Kira! My god, that explains why he is so fanatical about these new age religions, he is part of the largest faction known to exist! I smile to myself, if this became public knowledge, Mr. Irie would be forbidden from teaching, as parents would fear he would indoctrinate their children into the cult of Kira. I am sure I am the only one who saw Mr. Irie's face; the others always appear to lose interest after a minute or two when the taboo subject passes from shocking to academic. I sit back in my chair and gaze out the window wondering what I should do with this suspicion. By law we are required to report any suspected Kira worshippers so they can be monitored for suspicious activity, but what fun is that? Truth be told, I am more interested in seeing what Mr. Irie might do if he is allowed to continue teaching as he had been for the last three years.

My father would disapprove if he knew, of course; he has always been a stickler for the rules especially those that involved Kira. Several years ago I had tried to bring up the topic of Kira with him and my mother after hearing about the serial killer from a friend but before I could ask my full question, my father ended the conversation immediately. He said that Kira was pure evil and anyone associated with him was no better, and that it was our duty as concerned citizens to report any and all Kira-related activity, no matter how minimal it might be. After that I had been on constant vigilance for anything that might be somehow connected to Kira, just to help my father out, but after a few years I stopped caring. I often wondered then why it was so important to watch other people when they were more than capable of taking care of themselves. If they wanted to follow Kira's teachings then they were free to do so, after all, who am I to make sure they conform to society? It is not like I am some kind of god or something similar.

* * *

Class ends with little incidence a short while later and we are excused for our lunch hour. I pick up my satchel from the floor and head straight for the rooftop, hoping that my usual spot is not being occupied. Normally during lunch I sit near the corner of the roof that has the most fantastic view of the city, enjoying the afternoon sunshine as I listen to the sounds of the city below. It is comforting to know that life still goes on even when I was not truly a part of it, not yet anyway. Just a few more years of school and I would be able to move on with my life.

I sit down at my usual spot, glad to see it is free of other occupants, and rest my back against the stone verge before reaching into my satchel to retrieve my lunchbox. I smile when I open it and see what my mother packed me: she made me my favorite _hosomaki_ roll, _tekkamaki_, a thermos of tea and a couple of slices of freshly made _castella_. My mother always knew what I wanted, sometimes even before I knew it myself.

"Hey, Nori," says a voice above me, I look up and see Haluk standing there with his satchel. "Mind if I sit here?"

"Of course not," I reply with a smile. "You ask everyday if you can sit with me even when you know the answer. Why is that, Haluk?"

Haluk blushes a little as he sits. "I don't know the workings of your mind, Nori. I don't want to assume anything when it comes to you."

I blush a little myself as I pour a cup of tea, Haluk is a very sweet young man and more considerate than most boys his age. We have been friends for years and while nothing has transpired between us romantically up to this point, it is nice to have him around and flirt with him a little.

"Hi, Nori, Haluk," says Sanne as she approaches us, Parisa at her side. They then sit down in front of the opposite verge, Sanne's feet resting against my ankle, a minor annoyance but nothing I am not used to. "God, I thought lunch would never come! Why did they have to schedule physics as my class right before lunch?! I'd much rather join Nori in that world religions class than go another hour in physics."

"Then it's probably a good thing you aren't trying to get into To-Oh, Sanne," teases Haluk.

"And it explains why she put off physics until her last semester," quips Parisa as she adjusts her glasses.

Sanne rolls her eyes. "I needed to take that advanced English class instead of physics last year, it was the only time it was offered and since I'm going to be an English professor, it was crucial I take it."

"No one's saying you were wrong, Sanne," I say as I pick up a bite of my _tekkamaki_ with my chopsticks. "We're just teasing you because if you had taken physics with us, then you wouldn't be complaining."

"You have a point there, Nori," she says with a sigh. "Speaking of which, do you think we'll have time tonight to go over physics after cram school? I have a test coming up and I'd rather not fail it."

Parisa smiles and pats Sanne on the shoulder. "Of course we'll help you, Sanne. That's why we're having these extra study sessions at the library."

"Oh, that reminds me," I say, remembering my conversation with Sanne earlier. "Are we still having our study session tonight or are we just going to cram school?"

"I'm still up for it if the rest of you are," says Haluk. "The exams are only a few weeks away plus we have those projects that we need to do as well. I think it would be to our benefit to keep our study session."

"I agree with Haluk," says Sanne, a surprise to everyone since she usually tries to get out of extra studying when she can. "I'm going to need all of the help I can get if I am to even have a prayer in physics."

"Then that settles it," says Haluk brightly. "We'll head to the library right after cram school tonight at six and stay until the librarian kicks us out."

I smile and nod, my mouth full of food. I rarely contribute much to the conversation, preferring instead to listen and think about what is being said. There is something relaxing about just observing a crowd, I can be vivacious and vocal when necessary but right now, I just want to remain semi-anonymous. That is the plan, anyway.

"Did Nori tell you what she got on her practice exam?" asks Sanne out of nowhere.

All eyes turn on me and I calmly return their gaze with my own. I knew Sanne would bring this up, she always does.

"What did you get?" asks Parisa eagerly.

"_Shu_," I reply without batting an eyelash. I watch as their faces change from curious to amazed, this is the reaction I expected from them so I am hardly surprised.

Haluk is the first to recover from the news. "Really? _Shu_? Nori, that's absolutely fantastic!" he exclaims, placing his hand briefly on mine. "Are you sure you even need to go to cram school anymore?"

"It can't hurt to do some extra studying," I reply coolly with a shrug though internally, I am very pleased. "Besides, I still have other projects to work on, and even with my practice exam marks, getting into To-Oh requires a perfect GPA as well."

"Practical as always," chuckles Parisa as she bites into her apple.

"Fortunately Wasegi University doesn't have such inflexible entrance standards," says Sanne in a slightly arrogant voice. While Sanne and I have been friends since elementary school, our ideas on how to succeed in life have always been different; she does not see the need to try to excel in school like I do and she focuses more on establishing romantic relationships than I do. Needless to say, this is a point of friction in our friendship.

"But at least you are studying," I say politely. "You'll probably have the highest marks on the Wasegi exams, Sanne. We'll make sure of it."

Sanne smiles at me sincerely, while we may not agree on everything, we are always there for each other when it counts. "Thank you, Nori," she says before her grey eyes sparkle with excitement. "Oh! My parents said it was all right to have the post-exams party in our backyard. All of the families are invited of course, and my mom's going to make all of her best dishes for the occasion. Though she said it would appreciated if the rest of you could bring a dish or two, just to make sure there's enough food . . ."

I tune out Sanne's rant about the upcoming party and instead focus on the view, watching as the birds fly past the rooftops and the clouds change shape with the wind. I am just about to turn back to the conversation when I see the strangest bird flying close to a skyscraper. It is rather large with wings that seemed to be molting feathers; it also had long spindly legs and a strange multipoint head crest that sort of resembled spiked hair. This was not the first time I have seen this particular bird but this was the first time I have seen him so clearly, usually I would see its shadow on a building while walking home from cram school or from Sanne's house. It was almost like this bird was following me, which is certainly abnormal behavior. I have to find out what it is, and more importantly, why it is following me if it is at all. This should be interesting.


	2. Realizations

**A/N: A majority of this chapter is from Nori's POV, at the very end is a different POV and have indicated it to avoid confusion. Enjoy! :)**

* * *

I stretch my arms high above my head, reclining slightly back in the hard wooden chair at the table we had claimed when we arrived at the library a few hours ago. I glance over at the clock on the wall and sigh, it is nearly nine o'clock and I am just now getting to my project for my study of law class. It took much longer than anticipated to help Sanne review her lessons in physics, as she neglected to tell us that she still had not mastered the fundamentals. It was a good thing that both Parisa and Haluk were here to help, because if it had been just me I might have strangled her. Sanne is a dear friend but sometimes I think it would be easier being friends with a plank of wood.

"You look tired, Nori," says Parisa with an impish smile. "That doesn't have anything to do with the fact that we've been here for three hours does it?"

I put my seat's front legs back on the floor and lower my arms. "Oh no, it has nothing to do with the fact I just helped Sanne with physics for nearly three hours." I throw her a smirk, she knows I am teasing but she will not take this lightly.

Sanne glares at me from across the table, her grey eyes now slits. "You act like this was all put on you, if I recall correctly, Pari and Haluk were both here to help."

"To be fair, Sanne," says Haluk, uttering dangerous words in the mind of Sanne, "she helped you the most, Parisa and I only jumped in when it looked like Nori was going to hit you."

"Which means I must have the patience of a saint to have made it as far as I did," I say brushing a strand of hair out of my face. When I see the look Sanne is giving me, I roll my eyes. "Oh, relax, San-San," I say, using the name her father calls her when she gets worked up. "You know I'm just teasing you as payback for your crash course in physics."

Sanne's face lights up instantly, that is my sign that I successfully cheered her up, she is far too easy to read and wears her heart on her sleeve. I prefer to keep my heart in my chest where no one can see it.

"Now that we've cheered up Sanne," says Parisa as she takes off her glasses and cleans them with the hem of her sweater. "Maybe we can move onto our other work?"

Of all of us, Parisa is probably the calmest and most relaxed, rarely anything bothers her and when it does she quickly recovers which makes her the most difficult of my friends to read. Though she does have tells that give her away, like how she fidgets with her glasses when she is irritated or wrings her hands when she is apprehensive. It took me a while to figure her out, which is partly why I wanted to be friends with her, she was a challenge to me but after I got to know her, I liked her for other reasons. One of those reasons being her uncanny ability to immediately defuse a situation no matter how escalated it gets.

"I'm with Parisa," I say, standing up from the table. "I'm going to go look for some books that might be of some use to me for this project I'm doing on the detective L."

Haluk chuckles. "Could you have picked a more difficult topic to research, Nori? I mean, hardly anyone knows anything about L that hasn't already been published and even those facts are just the bare minimum."

"You should have stuck with writing about someone more well known," says Sanne arrogantly. "Like me writing about Soichiro Yagami, the former lead detective on the old Kira case a few years back."

"Maybe I didn't want an easy assignment," I say, my voice taking on a slight edge as I walk towards the bookcases. It is probably best to be away from them when doing my research, since I plan to grab a book on dream interpretation and it would be better if I did not explain why to them.

* * *

I sigh heavily as I close a book and put it back on the shelf, that one had little to nothing about L save for a brief mention about him participating in an investigation I already have fully researched. So far I have only found one book about L I have not read and the information in that is very minimal, the only fact I found interesting was one sentence that said he lived in the UK for five years. It was a small lead but using the first known date of L becoming involved in a case I am able to roughly pinpoint when he most likely arrived in the UK, which was sometime in the mid-1990s. This would either make him relatively young child or a young adult when he became a detective, meaning he is currently either in his late thirties or early forties. Personally I am leaning towards the early forties theory though I have little evidence to back up my suspicion.

There is something else that is bothering me about L, besides the obscure references and dates; he seems to have a particular way of doing things such as taking bold moves and risks, as evident from him putting a death row inmate in his place when first confronting Kira. Then there was a time for a few years where he did nothing of the sort, instead staying even further in the shadows but still giving instructions to the police and only involving himself in the Kira case. There are some old news articles from different countries stating that police forces had asked L for assistance but he turned them down, even though they match the qualities of former cases he had been involved with in the past. Almost like he became a different person.

The most recent articles about L show he has somewhat gone back to his old habits, choosing cases that personally interest him and taking risks. One example of this is the investigation about the deaths of several older citizens, terminally ill patients, and those asking for death. It was suspected to be another Kira but since this one was being far more merciful than the others, it was of no interest to him. The killings stopped shortly after his refusal.

I sit down and cross my legs, this has been bothering me since I started researching L, how can a person have such an outlined method of conducting an investigation only to completely change it for a few years before reverting back as if nothing had happened? Why would he do that? If there had been a second L during that change of MO, who could it have been and what happened to both the original and second L? Does that mean the current L is the third? It is too bad I cannot question someone who actually might know something about any of the L's. That information would be invaluable.

There is more I could do to investigate but right now, I think I should take advantage of the quiet and being alone to do some research into my dream. While I had intended on waiting until after my exams to look into it, I have this nagging feeling in my gut that I should start now. I reach for the book I had stashed in the middle of the stack I had started earlier, most of the books were ones that had references to L but one of them was a book on dream symbols. I am sure I could have looked everything up for both my assignment and my dream online but the Internet was very unreliable. Kira worshipers who were trying to mar the reputation of the detective since he had been the one who started the war against Kira had tainted anything that had to do with L. Fortunately no one had thought to burn books that had even a single reference to him. Not only that but somehow, Kira was being worked into the most menial websites, even cooking ones if the facts are to be believed.

I open the book, which is more like an encyclopedia for dream symbols, and start with the most obvious aspect of my dream: the grey world. I flip to the 'G' section of the book and start searching for 'grey' in the listing; I find it halfway down the page. I read a few lines and then roll my eyes, basically the book was saying dreaming of grey meant I am living an unhappy or colorless existence. That is not true in my opinion, my life is very fulfilling and I am happy with it, aside from a few changes I would like to make but nothing serious just minor things like being able to skip my exams and go straight to university. I decide against reading the rest of the description and decide to look up the second most prominent aspect of my dream: the shadow figure. I turn to that section of the book, after reading the first few words I slam the book shut and put it back on the stack. That description was saying I have yet to integrate subconscious aspects of my personality into my primary character, or that I am feeling overshadowed by someone. It is difficult to feel overshadowed when I am at the top of my class. Then again I am trying to eclipse Light Yagami and have been for years, so perhaps my dream is showing me this apparition as a stand in for a man I have never met, just so I can have some kind of being to surpass?

That is the obvious answer but if that were true, why have I been having this dream since before I entered school or even heard of Light Yagami? I know the subconscious is a powerful tool but it is unlikely that it has been influencing me about events or people I had never heard of at the time for several years. There had to be some other explanation for my dream, one that this stupid book could not tell me. Maybe it would serve me better to do some research into myths, see if this dream matches anything from the old stories, it was a long shot but at this point I could care less.

I am about to stand up and go searching for a book on myths when I hear footsteps approaching where I am sitting. They sound familiar, though slightly muffled on the soft carpet and after another second I recognize them as Haluk's footsteps, he is either looking for me or is going to get a book. When I hear him draw closer to my position I know he is looking for me, I glance up at the clock, it is nearly ten o'clock, which means the library is getting ready to close so he is coming to collect me.

Haluk turns the corner at the bookcase I am sitting behind and smiles when he sees me like he had been looking all over Japan for me. "Finally," he says, helping me up from the floor. "I thought you were going to end up locked in here and I would have to explain to your parents why we didn't bring you home."

"Were you more concerned that I was going to be locked in here or that you would have to tell my dad you abandoned me here?" I ask wryly as I start picking up the books, he stoops down to assist.

"If I'm being completely honest," he says, a twinkle in his blue eyes, "telling your father we left you scares me more than actually leaving you behind."

I scoff out of mock outrage, though I know he is only joking. "Well, it's good to know how much you actually care about me, Haluk." I start to laugh, to show him I took no true offense by his comment but when I do not hear him join in, I stop and look over at him. He is staring at me with an odd expression; he looks almost like he is going to be sick.

"Are you alright, Haluk?" I ask my brow creased in worry.

He says nothing but steps forward and puts his hand on my shoulder, the heat of his flesh radiating through the cloth of my shirt sends warmth throughout my body and I feel my mouth go dry. The way he is looking at me now causes all thought to vanish from my mind and I stare at him completely mesmerized. He is only a couple of inches taller than me but right now it feels like he is towering over me, his eyes boring into me from behind his glasses, a few black strands of hair hanging down in his face. This is almost like something out of a dream; one I really do not want to wake up from.

"Nori," he says in a slightly husky whisper, "you have no idea how much I actually do care about you."

The world stops for me in that moment, the air knocked from my lungs as I continue to wonder if this is really happening. Where was that timid, shy friend of yesterday? When was he replaced with this bold stranger? This is a side of Haluk I had no idea existed, and to say it did not excite me would be the world's largest lie.

I can see in his eyes that he wants to say something else and I am ready to hear it when the sound of several footsteps echoes through the quiet space. Haluk quickly moves his hand and stoops to pick up the remaining books just as Parisa and Sanne come into view, never in my life had I wanted to scream at them more than now. The look on Sanne's face suggests that she knew exactly what Haluk had been trying to do and if I am not mistaken, she seems almost relieved that she had interrupted us.

"The librarian is getting ready to leave," says Parisa, eyeing us suspiciously. "She says we either leave now or she's locking us in, curfew be damned."

Haluk and I nod as we put the books hurriedly back on the shelves though not in their proper places, I can remedy that later when we come back in a couple of days. When that is finished Parisa hands me my satchel and we all depart from the library as quickly as we can, Sanne nearly trampling the librarian in her haste, all running for Haluk's car. Sanne and Parisa practically dive into the back seats while I scramble into passenger's side, the three of us giggling the entire time just at the absurdity of the situation. This would not be the first time we were out past curfew but even still; we found it fun to act like we were being chased by invisible police officers who were bent on catching us.

Haluk slides casually into the driver's side and just rolls his eyes at us as he starts up the car; he is very used to our silly behavior and just takes it in stride, knowing it is unlikely that we will ever change. Not that he has expressed a desire for us to modify our behavior. He puts the car into reverse and backs out of the parking space, heading towards home.

* * *

"Bye, Nori! Bye, Haluk!" shouts Sanne as she exits the car, ruffling Haluk's hair before shutting the door.

We do not leave immediately, instead we wait until she is up to her front door before Haluk drives away, repeating a pattern we have done ever since Haluk first got his car. The rest of us have licenses but we do not own cars, instead having to rely on the generosity of our parents if we want to go anywhere when Haluk is busy. Fortunately that does not happen often, saving me especially from my father's twenty-minute lecture about driving and taking care of the car while it is in my possession.

"Were you able to find anything out about L?" asks Haluk, his eyes focused on the road but I see them dart over to look at me every few seconds.

I shrug. "I guess, not much but enough to write a decent paper."

Haluk chuckles. "Just a decent paper, Nori? I didn't know you did anything less than excellent."

"Well, our teacher informed me when I chose this topic that he would alter the rubric slightly for me," I say, looking out the window. "Since part of the paper requires me to write about my subject's early life and background, and not much is known about what L did before he was a detective, I just have to write about his first cases instead."

"Sounds like he gave you more work than the rest of us," said Haluk with a small grin. "Then again, you are the only person who might surpass Light Yagami, so it isn't unusual that our teachers want to challenge you."

"So you're on that bandwagon too?" I ask with a small sigh. "Really, Haluk I thought you would be above that sort of thing."

Haluk blushes and then his hand drifts over to mine, holding it as if he has been doing this far longer than he actually has been. "Nori, it's not a bandwagon when it's the truth, and after the entrance exams it'll be fact."

"You're sweet to say so," I reply and move my hand so our fingers are laced together. While I normally try to stay somewhat reserved, I can be bold when I desire to be, and right now I want to show him that side of me since he has done the same for me. We remain silent for the rest of the drive to my house.

"Nori," he says as he parks the car in front of my house. "I have to confess something: I've had a crush on you since we were in elementary school, when we first met. I've always been too shy or too scared to ask you out, but I guess with us graduating this year, it's now or never right? Noriko Matsuda, will you go out with me?"

I am silent for a moment; I have always known that Haluk has had a crush on me but I never expected him to just come out and tell me like this. I look at him and see that perspiration is forming on his forehead the longer I remain silent, and if I do not answer him soon I am sure he will be crushed.

"I'd love to go out with you, Haluk," I say and nearly laugh when relief washes over his face. "Are you alright, you look like you're going to faint?"

Haluk laughs nervously and runs his fingers through his hair. "I guess I just expected you to say no, I mean, that was the answer I was prepared most for."

I giggle and squeeze his hand. "Well, I guess we're even since I never expected you to ask me out in the first place."

"So, uh, when do you want to go out?" asks Haluk, obviously he had not thought this far ahead.

"It can't be tomorrow," I say and press on when I see the worried look on his face. "I promised Koji that I'd spend some time with him, that's all. He and I haven't been able to spend much time together."

Haluk smiles at me. "I understand, Nori, Koji's very important to you and so is the rest of your family. What about Saturday? I know, that's usually when we're all studying but I don't think it would kill our chances at To-Oh if we took one afternoon off."

"Only one afternoon?" I say teasingly. "Well, I guess I can spare you one, Haluk. Don't think I do that for everyone."

"I guess that makes me special," says Haluk and he squeezes my hand. "Do you want me to walk you to your door?"

"That's alright, Haluk," I say as I release his hand in order to unbuckle my seatbelt, then I reach down between my feet and pull up my satchel, resting it on my lap. "You need to get home, it's almost ten-thirty, and I don't think you want to be caught sleeping in class again."

Haluk groans as I exit the car. "That was one time, Nori!"

"One time more than me," I say laughing before closing the passenger's door.

I start going up the walkway, without looking I know Haluk is still there watching me from his car as I go to my door. He does this for all of us but for me especially, often staying long after I have entered the house, sometimes to the point my father has to go out and tell him that he needs to go home. I used to think it was weird and a little creepy but now I think that was his way of indirectly protecting me, his way of showing me that he cared.

The moment my hand touches the doorknob, I hear Haluk's car pull away, I guess now that he has finally told me how he feels about me he does not think he needs to stay any longer than he has to. Well, at least my father will not have to come out in just his robe again and try to scare off Haluk; honestly, my father just standing in his robe would be enough to scare off anyone. I suppress a fit of giggles at the image of my cop father fighting criminals just by standing in his robe, maybe I should recommend it to him, though I doubt he would appreciate the humor of it.

* * *

I open the door and go inside, kicking my shoes off before putting my satchel on the hook beside the door. The house is dark save for one light in the living room, probably left on by my mother knowing I would be home after everyone else was already asleep, something she was doing more and more frequently. I smile to myself as I go to the kitchen, my stomach grumbling loudly so I know without a doubt that I am hungry, and I open the fridge. Unconsciously I lick my lips when I see the container full of tempura shrimp, I pull it out and put it on the counter then I spot the horseradish dipping sauce and take it out as well. I set the oven and get out a small baking sheet; I put a handful of shrimp on it and then lean against the nearest counter while I wait for the oven to heat up. While I might be tired, I am just as hungry and even if I skipped food and went straight to bed, I have a feeling my stomach would protest to the point that I could not sleep. An outcome I do not desire.

I sigh and rub my eyes, hopefully after this I will be able to sleep and get up for school on time, these late nights were starting to catch up with me and if they continue I might find myself too tired to do anything. That includes studying and possibly dating, depending on how my date with Haluk goes on Saturday.

The oven beeps, breaking me from my thoughts and I quickly slide in the sheet full of shrimp then set the timer for a few minutes, just enough to heat up my meal and make it somewhat crunchy. I decide now is the time to pull out a plate and serve up some of the dipping sauce since I have nothing better to do while I am waiting. Then I hear the unmistakable sound of footsteps, I tense for a moment before I realize that it is not an intruder, if it were I would probably have heard things being knocked down or broken. Our house is full of stuff and unless you know the layout, you tend to bump into various things. My friends have broken enough stuff to make that painfully obvious.

Before I have a chance to investigate, my father comes into view and I relax completely even though I had no reason to be nervous in the first place.

"Hey Dad," I say, pouring myself a glass of milk. "Did I wake you?"

My dad shakes his head as he sits down at the counter. "No, I just got home a little while ago, I was in the office. This case I'm working is brutal."

I smile and pull down an extra plate, there is more than enough shrimp for both my dad, and me and he looks like he needs some food. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I wish I could, Nori," says Dad sighing heavily. "This is one of those cases where I could use your help but can't ask for it."

'_Now this is interesting.'_ I nod and then go back to prepping a late dinner for both of us. "You can't just give me a hint? I'd love to help out if I can, even if you can't divulge everything."

Dad looks at me and smiles. "I appreciate the offer, honey, but I've been working this one for a while now and it would require me to say too much about the background if I were to give you a hint. Why don't we talk about something else? How's your paper going?"

I am about to reply when the oven goes off, quickly I turn off the alarm and pull out the pan, then set it on the stove to let it cool before serving them up. All the while my dad's strange behavior playing in my mind. He has been on cases before where he was not supposed to say anything but had asked my help before, what made this case so different? Not only that but he had quickly changed the subject, so if I go back and ask him about his case he can promptly shut me out. There was something more to this case.

"My paper's going well," I say as I plate the food. "I managed to find out some more about L, not much but I should have enough now to write my assignment."

"That's great, sweetie," says Dad as he accepts the plate I prepared for him. "Oh, your mom's homemade tempura shrimp, can life get any better?"

I put a small bowl in front of his plate and he grins.

"Horseradish sauce!" he exclaims and promptly dunks a shrimp into the sauce. "It's official, life is great."

I laugh and put my plate across from him. "Mom knows us so well, doesn't she?"

"That's why she's the best," says Dad before taking a large bite of shrimp.

"So, Dad," I say, stirring my shrimp in the sauce, just to look casual. "Would it be okay if I go out on Saturday?"

My dad looks up at me with a puzzled look. "Of course, you're seventeen, I can't stop you from going out with your friends."

"Well, it wouldn't be with all of my friends," I say slowly. "It would be with one: Haluk. He asked me on a date for Saturday and I said yes."

There is silence between us after I tell him about my date, what surprises me most is he looks like I just ran over a dog without remorse. Is he really that upset that I am going on a date?

"I . . . uh . . . a date?" Dad stammers, dropping his food in surprise. "I thought I was prepared for this, I mean, it's just something that happens. I-I wish I had more time, the idea of you dating is just . . . Please tell me you're kidding, I don't think I can take this."

I laugh, this is too funny, to think my father is in denial about me dating is just hilarious. I had never expected him to take my first official date like this; I mean he had been absolutely all right with me going to dances with other boys. What makes this so different?

"Dad, if you don't want me to go out with Haluk, just say so," I say, reaching out and taking his hand, though I am smiling. While this is a strange situation, it is also rather amusing.

Dad shakes his head. "It's not that I don't approve of Haluk, honestly, I think he would be a great partner for you. I just . . . can't believe how grown up you are, Nori. It seems like it was only yesterday you were learning how to ride a bike or learning to walk."

I squeeze his hand gently, I guess I can understand his position; I am going to be graduating high school this year and going off to university shortly after, on top of all that I have finally shown an interest in dating. I guess this is as much of an adjustment for him as it is for me. He looks up at me and smiles, I return the gesture and let go of his hand; together we eat in a comfortable silence.

* * *

**Mystery POV:**

_I can see her; she looks tired but is smiling. What could she possibly be so happy about, when she is eating with that idiot? I think I should give it to her soon, after all, she is the most like him following her around has shown me that much. It has been nearly twenty years since I last entered the human world, and I have grown very bored. Giving it to her should be interesting._


	3. Eye Opening

I bounce the Ping-Pong ball on the table, staring with mock malice at Koji as he spins his paddle in his hand, his eyes on me though I can see them flit between the ball and me. He is waiting for me to make my move, waiting for the moment he can strike. I bounce the ball one last time before I hit it with my paddle, sending it across the table, over the net and to Koji's side. He is quick to react and lets it bounce once on the platform before sending it back over to me with an impressive swing, the ball is still traveling down the center of the court but I change that with a slight flick of my wrist as my paddle makes contact with the ball. It goes sailing to the right, directly opposite of where Koji is standing and he practically dives across the floor to save the ball from leaving the area of play. I have to keep myself from laughing, while it is absolutely hilarious to watch Koji, I know that we are still playing a "serious" game of Ping-Pong. At least that is how he prefers to play.

He serves the ball back to me with tremendous force and speed, I am almost unable to return it but I quickly move to intercept its path and hit it just before it goes too far away from the edge of the table. The ball returns to Koji's side but he is unable to prevent it from falling to the floor: a point for me.

"I believe that point wins me the match," I say happily as he picks up the ball, a scowl on his face.

"But not the game," he points out. "You promised we'd play seven matches."

"And we will," I say slightly irritated. "So far you've won three and now I've won three, we'll play one more and then call it a night. Sound fair to you?"

"Fine," groans Koji and he starts bouncing the ball like I had done, I can see a plan forming in his mind, and he really wants to win.

Right now I can do one of two things: either throw the match and let him win, which he will accuse me of doing afterwards or win the match and thus the game. Either way he will not be overly thrilled with me. It is very rare that anyone can win against me at this game or chess or any other game that involves some semblance of strategy, I am able to see what a person plans on doing a few moves in and plan accordingly. When it does look like they will win or if I feel they should win, I make it so frustratingly difficult that they are unable to savor their victory as a consolation prize for myself. A vindictive and underhanded play perhaps but I do hate to lose.

Koji lets the ball bounce twice before he hits it with his paddle, and I have made up my mind on the outcome of this match before it strikes my side of the table. It bounces and I count to two before hitting it back over to Koji, watching as it hits the spot I had aimed for, it hits the side of the table before Koji can react and falls to the ground. He does not even sigh when he picks it up, I can tell he is irritated however by the way his eyebrows knot together, he has never been very good about hiding his emotions. Again he serves and I am ready.

* * *

This last match is our longest, which follows the pattern we long ago established when Koji insisted we learn how to play this game. Right now our points are tied and one more will establish victory, though I already know which of us will win this game, and I am well prepared for his next move. His eyes dart to the corner of the table I am not stationed at and I bite my lip to keep from smiling, I knew he was going to aim for an open point, which is why I stationed myself at the other end. He thinks I have opened myself up because I am standing directly across from him, leaving that end unguarded, but he is mistaken. Quickly he serves the ball to the corner I had predicted and I lunge for it, striking the ball to Koji's open corner but he did not see this coming. He stumbles to stop the ball and trips over his feet, sending him crashing into a tower of boxes our father had placed there a couple of weeks ago.

The boxes land on top of Koji, who somehow twisted his body so he is on his back rather than his side, several of the boxes have opened and their contents are spilled across the basement floor. _'At least it wasn't furniture or a wall this time,' _I think wryly as I rush to his side, the victory marred by concern for my little brother. I had miscalculated my brother's eagerness to win and in doing so, caused him to act rashly which resulted in this accident.

"Are you okay, Koji? Are you hurt?" I ask as I help him to his feet.

He shakes his head. "No, I'm fine, Nori. Next time though, try aiming your winning shot away from stuff that I might run into, okay? Aim for the wall or something."

I laugh and ruffle his hair. "Well maybe you could learn not to act without thinking first."

"How am I supposed to think that fast?" he whines as he musses his hair back to how it was before I messed it up. "It's almost impossible!"

"You have to think ahead of your opponent, Koji," I say calmly, he is an impatient boy as well as a stubborn one and he will not listen to what I say but it would not hurt to tell him something. "Being able to anticipate their movements is how you'll be able to defeat them, and if you can improvise when necessary, then you will succeed."

"Oh c'mon, Nori, there's no way I'll ever be able to do that," sighs Koji and he looks down at the open boxes. "Dad's going to kill me for knocking over his stuff."

I shake my head. "Not if I clean it up before he gets home. I need you to go keep point at the door and warn me if you think Mom or Dad is coming. Understand?"

Koji nods and then darts up the stairs, surprisingly quiet for once though I am sure this has to do with not getting caught by Mom or Dad. I sigh to myself as I put the boxes upright and try to determine which items went in which box, while the boxes are labeled they do not have an itemized list. That would have made this task much simpler.

I start putting the items back in the boxes they appeared to have come out of, noticing that they were a rather odd assortment, such as a belt and an old badge of my father's. I flip open the cover and see my father's picture but the name and rank are wrong, the badge reads: _Yamashita, Taichiro_ rather than _Matsuda, Touta_ and his rank is that of a traffic cop instead of an investigator. I stare at it for a moment or two before putting it back in the box with the belt, while it is strange, I imagine it was used in the past for some undercover work or at the very least to keep people from looking too closely at him. I continue to put the items back in the boxes, trying to keep them of equal weight in case Dad gets suspicious and thinks something might be missing when it really is not. I am just about to put the last few things in the last box when one of them slips from my grasp and lands on the floor with a thud. I wait a couple of seconds before retrieving it, thinking that one of my parents is already on their way down here, when it becomes clear they are not, I quickly put the others away before snatching up the one that fell.

The item that fell is a thick, leather-bound journal held shut by a fraying piece of leather string, it appears worn and well used though I could not recall ever seeing my father writing in such a thing. I look around the basement, making sure that Koji is nowhere near and silently I undo the string, holding my breath the entire time waiting for the other shoe to drop. When it is open I flip open the cover and see a medium-sized picture just sitting on the first page, there is writing on the back but I pay it little mind as I flip it over to see what the picture's subject is. My first impression is it is of a police academy graduation as I recognize my father and a few other young people but then on closer inspection, I realize this could not possibly be the case. I see my father standing with the later Deputy Director Soichiro Yagami and beside him is the man who is now the new Deputy Director and my "uncle" Shuichi Aizawa but in this picture he has a great deal more hair than he does now. I scan the others in the picture and I recognize only a few others: Kanzo Mogi and Hideki Ide. All of these men are still alive and working with my father under Aizawa, these men I have come to call "uncle" and see as an extension of my family, what were they doing in this picture? I look at those I do not know: there is an attractive blonde woman holding a cigarette and wearing sunglasses, a blonde man who could easily pass for an American actor, an older gentleman with a mustache and glasses, a younger blonde woman who is hugging onto . . . Light Yagami? I am now incredibly confused, why is he in this picture? I then notice a man sitting directly in front of Light; he has messy dark hair, very pale skin, and dark circles under his eyes and his thumb pressed against his lips. This man seemed very strange.

I turn the picture back over and read what it says: Japanese Task Force members. For a moment I am confused until I remember that the JTF had been responsible for locating and stopping Kira until they were disband. I am sure this was taken some time before then but then I notice the tiny date written in the top corner of the picture and it is dated a couple of months after the public disbandment of the group. To say my curiosity is piqued is a gross understatement; I am now desperate for answers. I scan the names written on the back, skipping the ones I already know: Aiber, Weddy, Watari, Misa Amane, and the last one Ryuzaki (L). My eyes widen at the name, is the detective L really in this photo and if he is, which one of the remaining is he?

"Nori!" I hear Koji hiss from up the stairs. "I think I hear Dad, are you done yet?"

"Almost," I reply in a slightly elevated whisper, quickly I put the journal back together and scan the basement for a place to hide it, I am going to read this and figure out what L and Light are doing in this picture; consequences be damned. I find a hiding spot under the chair close to the Ping-Pong table, quietly I slide the journal far enough out of view that no one can see it in the shadows but still within reach. I then put a book similar in size and color in the box and close it, putting it furthest away from possibly being picked up before I can return the journal when I am finished with it. When the rest of my family is asleep, I will return for the journal and read it until my curiosity is sated.

"Nori, Koji," calls Dad through the door. "If you two are done with your game, dinner's ready."

"Coming!" we call back in unison and then we scramble up the stairs, Koji putting on a good act that he had not been standing by the door the entire time. I open the door and Dad is standing there with a smile on his face as usual.

"So who won the great Ping-Pong battle?" he asks, putting an arm around our shoulders as we walk to the dining room.

"Who do you think?" sighs Koji, looking at me with a pout.

"Doesn't take a detective to figure out that Nori is still the reigning champ," laughs Dad and he leans up to kiss my cheek, something I am still not used to since just a couple of years ago it was I who leaned up to kiss his cheek. My growth spurt hit before I turned 16 and I am now almost 6-feet tall, standing over both of my parents and most of my friends except Haluk who is just barely taller than me.

"Only because she cheats!" says Koji and I roll my eyes, he says this nearly every time I beat him at something, for some reason he is unable to grasp the fact that I can out think him and cheating to win is not necessary.

Dad stops walking and glares at him. "Koji, you will not accuse your sister of cheating again, am I understood?"

Koji looks down at the ground and nods. "Yes, sir."

Dad then smiles before bending down to hug Koji, something he does nearly every time he has to reprimand him. "I know it isn't fun to lose, but wouldn't it be better to be a gracious loser? If you are then your sister and others might play with you more."

"I understand, and I'm sorry, Nori," he says remorsefully then his eyes light up. "Can we go have dinner now?"

"Of course," laughs Dad and I join in, my brother thinks more with his stomach than his brain sometimes. Dad stands up and we join Mom in the dining room.

"There you are," says Mom as she puts a bowl of stew on the table. "I was wondering what was taking so long."

"We had to stop for a short lesson in being a gracious loser," says Dad as he sits down at the table, and I sit across from him. "But everything's fine now, right kids?"

Koji and I both nod; neither of us is going to contradict our father, especially Koji.

"I'm glad that's settled," says Mom as she starts serving us dinner. "Now, how was school, Koji?"

Koji launches into a fully detailed account of his day but I am not paying much attention, my mind is racing with possibilities about what might be in that journal my father has and if L really is in the picture I found. To think that my father has been keeping this a secret for years and I did not even suspect, then again I hardly had any reason to, he so rarely spoke about his years during the Kira Investigation. I wonder if my mother knows about the journal or the fact my father was supposedly working directly with L, before she and my father married she had been a Japanese-American working as a CIA agent. Perhaps she herself had worked with L in the past though she had not given any indication that she had. I observe my mother for a moment or two, looking at her now I do not think anyone would ever guess that she used to be a CIA agent let alone lived in the US for most of her life. I remember asking her once how she adapted so easily to living in Japan and she told me that being here was natural to her, like breathing, and she had no trouble leaving her life in America behind. My grandparents still live in America and on occasion we visit them, though I suspect they will be joining us here in the near future.

I glance again at my mother and try not to cringe, while I am probably a terrible daughter for thinking this, I pity my mother. Before she met and married my father she had had her own life and career, now here she was in a house in the Kanto region serving up freshly prepared stew to her husband and children. Not exactly as interesting or as exciting as being a CIA agent. Even though I plan to someday marry, I do not have any intentions of giving up my career just to raise a family. I am sure I would grow incredibly bored and would likely resort to different means to get some kind of stimulation; I will not become my mother, that much I am sure of.

"Hey Dad," I say when I hear Koji finish speaking, "during your years as an investigator, did you ever work with L?"

There is a short silence before he says anything. "Why do you ask, Noriko?" he asks casually as he takes a bite of his stew.

He said my full name, which means I am treading on thin ice with this subject. I shrug and stir my food. "I was just curious," I reply. "Some of the articles I've read about L say that he works closely with the police force involved in whatever case he is working. I was just wondering if you had ever worked with him before."

I watch some of the tension leave my father's face. "I have on occasion, though just through a computer monitor and microphone, he prefers not to be seen in public or by the people he works with."

This is new. "Really?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. "I knew he was secretive but I had no idea that he didn't even show his face to the police."

Dad nods. "Yeah, he prefers his privacy which is why there are no existing photographs." I see him wrinkle his nose ever so slightly, this tell means he is lying and I know he is because I have seen the photograph he is likely thinking of. This confirms my suspicion that he is hiding something.

"Must make it difficult for the police to trust him," I say casually, the last thing I want to do now is press for more information about what L might look like, that would probably clue him in to what I know.

"I'll admit, it was trying at times," says Dad with a slight sigh at the end. "Taking the word of someone you haven't met or really know about is difficult and can create a great deal of suspicion. We worked through it though, eventually."

"We?" I repeat, now actively trying to keep from letting my curiosity get the better of me. This is definitely not the time for something like that.

Dad swallows hard; he knows he said something he should not have. "The rest of the police force," he says, a little too quickly. "Me and the other investigators had to learn to trust L's information despite being unable to properly communicate with him."

I nod. "I see, do you mind if I add that to my paper? Not the part about you working with him, but the part about his secrecy and how he works through a computer?"

"I suppose that would be fine," says Dad hesitantly. "Just don't linger on it for too long, okay? He's still active and I don't want to put him in harm's way."

"Of course, Dad," I say sweetly. "The last thing I want to do is hinder his ability to do his work or to impede yours."

Dad smiles and relaxes fully. "Thanks, honey. Now, Koji, can you pass the dumplings?"

I return to my meal with very little interest in actually eating it but I pretend to, while my thoughts are pulled in dozens of new directions. There had to be answers somewhere to all of my questions, and the place to start is definitely the journal, even if it leads me nowhere at least I will have something more to research. I quietly pick at my food, counting down the minutes until I can retrieve the journal.

* * *

The clock reads half-past midnight as I creep down the stairs to the main floor of the house; carefully I maneuver myself over the squeaky stair at the base and put my feet firmly on the floor. I stand stock still for a moment and listen to the quiet, trying to pick up any possible sounds that might indicate that a member of my family was up and wandering around like I am. When I determine that no one but myself is awake I continue to the basement door, being mindful of where I step so as to avoid tripping and falling or breaking something; both instances would bring unwanted attention. Quickly but quietly I open the basement door and turn on the flashlight I brought with me, descending the stairs with ease despite the limited field of vision and I find myself close to the chair I had hidden the journal under. I crouch down and find that it is still where I left it, and then I reach under and pull it out before pausing once again to listen. Again no one else is awake so I breath a small sigh of relief, getting caught upstairs would have been preferable, at least then I could have come up with a plausible explanation; getting caught now would be very bad.

I push myself up from my haunches and return to the stairs, climbing them easily and when I am at the top I turn off my flashlight. No need in giving my position away just in case someone is up and I just cannot hear them, and then I slip through the door and close it behind me. I count to three before I start towards the stairs and only when I am safely back in my room with the door locked do I release the breath I had been holding. That had gone much better than I thought it would, and I still have enough time to read a few pages before going to sleep.

I get back into my bed and remove the leather string, opening it to the cover where the photograph is stashed, after questioning my father I am more certain than before that L is among these individuals it is not just a matter of figuring out which one. I turn on my flashlight and place the photograph close by and turn the page, immediately recognizing my father's handwriting, I know now this really is his journal and not one of the other investigator's. I start reading.

_I know it's probably a bad idea to keep this journal but I feel compelled to record these events since history never will know the official story. Today we have officially begun the hunt for Kira and so far we only know a few things about him, but thanks to L we have some concrete facts:_

_He is in the Kanto region_

_His first victim was merely an experiment_

_He doesn't need to be present in order to kill_

_And the deaths are all murders_

_I have to admit; the way he figured all of that out was pretty crazy. Who knew a fake police broadcast would bring Kira out into the open like that? I think the Chief feels pretty stupid about not thinking of doing that sooner, though he does seem to admire L's methods. This whole day has been insane and if I hadn't been there myself, I wouldn't have believed anything they said about Kira or L for that matter. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how this plays out._

I pause for a moment and allow the information to sink in, so L originally exposed Kira through a simple broadcast? Either this was a really well thought through plan or Kira was just too stupid and easily fell for the trap; to be honest I would not be surprised if it was the latter. Though before I can draw any conclusions, I should look into this confrontation and see what actually transpired, who knows maybe this will give me some more insight into the type of person Kira was.

I scan the next few entries, they were mostly about the regular meetings the police were having nearly everyday with reports about which people were killed, who was claiming to be Kira, and the various calls received on a daily basis. None of that is remotely interesting; the only facts I find intriguing are those L presents. According to him, Kira is getting his information primarily through television and the Internet, as those killed had had their names and faces broadcast on either medium before their deaths. Then when he had the police look at the times of death, they were during afterschool hours on weekdays and more varied on the weekends, which led to the conclusion that Kira was a student. He changed his MO shortly after this realization and L concluded that Kira was telling them he could determine the time and circumstances of death, not just who would die. This change later led to the conclusion that Kira had access to police information, which meant he was connected to the police, more specifically, to someone on the Task Force. Even with the initial distrust, I cannot imagine this kind of revelation making things easier between L and the other investigators. I find an entry that proves me right.

_Turns out L was having us investigated! Can you fucking believe it?! I mean, I understand why but come on; getting the FBI to send men here to look into our lives is just unbelievable! Not only that but all of the agents who were investigating the Task Force are now dead, murdered by Kira himself. All twelve of them! I used to think that maybe Kira was doing something good by killing those criminals but now I see something evil about him, he doesn't want to get caught nor cooperate with the police. He's going to kill anyone who gets in his way. Now we're down to six members of the Task Force, everyone else is too scared to stay considering what happened to those agents. If we die before we catch Kira, then I guess that means he'll win. The only upside to this whole situation is that we're finally going to meet L in person tonight, it's all been arranged. Hopefully this means we'll be closer to stopping Kira._

I nearly fall out of bed when I read that entry. This proves not only that the picture is genuine, but also that my father lied right to my face, which means he is probably hiding more than just those two secrets. I feel a cold chill creep down my spine and I have this feeling in my gut that is telling me I am about to find out much more than I bargained for and I force myself to keep reading. There is no backing out of this now.

The next few entries talk about the meeting with L and how the Task Force was now going to operate from hotel rooms instead of the police headquarters, they were also reviewing the last few hours of one of the FBI agents Raye Penber. Apparently before his death by Kira, he had exhibited strange behavior consistent with someone presumably under Kira's control, at least according to L's observations. He also thought that Kira was directly involved, perhaps he had even followed the agent just to make sure his plan went off without a hitch. Then Penber's fiancée came up missing so L directed the Task Force to focus only on investigating the families that Penber had been assigned to those of Deputy Director Kitamura and Chief Yagami.

I pause here and look at the picture again, based on the descriptions of L my father so generously provided in his journal, I know that the strange man in front of Light is in fact the real L. While he is certainly not like the average man, I like his appearance and it certainly fits with some of his eccentricities that my father mentioned, if I were to ever meet him I think we would of gotten along and possibly been friends. I then look at Light, there is something off about him even though he appears perfectly normal, and happy even like there was no place he would rather be at that moment. He has an arm around the tiny blonde woman's waist but it does not seem to be a romantic gesture, more like a friendly one and then I see his other hand resting on L's shoulder, as I look closer I think I see L's hand on his. Now this is far too friendly of a gesture for just coworkers or partners, there is something more here or perhaps I am reading too much into this, I cannot pretend to know anything about their relationship even if I tried.

There would be time later to pursue this avenue, right now I have to finish reading the journal, I am roughly a third of the way through and I do not want to risk putting it back and retrieving it later just in case. What I read next is slightly disturbing, apparently L put wiretaps and surveillance cameras in each other houses to keep constant watch over the suspects hoping that doing so might reveal if Kira was in one of those families. After two weeks nothing was revealed as the murders continued during this time and L seemed incredibly suspicious of Light, going so far as to meet him in person at To-Oh University. Then a few weeks later, a Kira copy cat emerged and killed one of the Task Force members just by knowing his face and not his name, which were two items L thought Kira needed to know in order to kill. Video messages were exchanged between the second Kira and a fake Kira created by the Task Force and played by Light, which meant he was likely going to start playing a larger role in the investigation. During this time Chief Yagami had a heart attack and was put in the hospital, only to use a police van to smash through the Sakura TV station to interrupt the initial broadcast by the second Kira.

'_Now that was a risky move,'_ I muse as I flip through the pages, pausing every few seconds to read what might be an interesting passage. The communication between the Task Force Kira and the second Kira went on for a couple of weeks before they received a coded message about where and when the two Kiras might meet. L sent my father and Light to Aoyama, secretly telling my father to keep an extra close watch on Light. I raise an eyebrow; it would appear that L was very suspicious of Light being Kira practically right from the start of the investigation, and L has never been wrong before. Actually, Light being Kira would make a lot of sense, for instance he was a student in the Kanto region, had connections to the Task Force and could have likely hacked into the information, and he was one of the people Raye Penber had been tailing. There is so much circumstantial evidence that I am surprised L did nothing other than keep him involved in the investigation, if I had been him I would have put Light in a cell immediately.

I continue my investigation of my father's entries and find that the second Kira was proven to be some model named Misa Amane, a young blonde woman with an unusual fixation on Light Yagami. Which means she is the woman who is hugging onto Light in the picture, it was the only explanation; this means that Weddy is the other woman, and Aiber is the man who looks like he is from America since I know Watari is the older gentleman according to my father. Now that that mystery is solved, I decide to skip to the end of the journal, to see if anyone actually figured out who Kira was or if it the public execution was all a ruse.

_This will be my last entry. The Kira Investigation is officially over; we now know who he is and what he is capable of. L was right from the start, Kira was Light Yagami all along and we were all duped at least until Aizawa and Mogi started looking into him again, if it had not been for them and for Near, he would have succeeded in killing us all with the Death Note. I just wish that L had been the one to figure it out instead of Near, it doesn't seem right that his successor solved his case for him. I hope is soul is at rest now as well as the Chief's, as Light is now dead and can no longer harm anyone. Strangely, I feel hollow, maybe because this investigation came at the cost of so many great men like Watari and L and Chief Yagami gave their lives for this only for it to be thrown back in their faces. A man they trusted had killed them. If anyone should find this, I hope they learn from Light's actions and not take up the desire to become Kira. The cost is too great and in the end, not worth the risk._

I had been right Light had been Kira! And there was no true execution of Kira it had been a ruse because if it came out that the late Deputy Director's son had been a mass murderer and a revered 'god' it would be the ultimate scandal. While I have not read everything in the journal, I know that this cannot be hidden away just to be forgotten but it cannot be trusted to anyone else, in the wrong hands this could be the ultimate weapon. Though I am confused as to what a 'Death Note' really is, is it an actual notebook of death? I flip through some of the previous pages and find an entire page dedicated to this topic, and clearly marked at the top: Death Note Guide and Information.

_I am trembling as I write this entry, everything I thought I knew has been turned completely upside down. After we caught Higuchi as the person acting as Kira we finally figured out how he has been killing people, with something called a Death Note. It's a plain looking black notebook with its title written across the top and when you touch it, you can see a shinigami, a real god of death! The one attached to this notebook is named Rem and is really interesting if not a little on the quiet side, it doesn't seem to like humans much. Anyway, there are several rules included on the inside cover and I think it's best if I record them here, just in case I need to reference them at a later date:_

_The human whose name is written in this note shall die._

_This note will not take effect unless the writer has the person's face in their mind when writing his/her name. Therefore, people sharing the same name will not be affected._

_If the cause of death is written within the next 40 seconds of writing the person's name, it will happen._

_If the cause of death is not specified, the person will simply die of a heart attack._

_After writing the cause of death, details of the death should be written in the next 6 minutes and 40 seconds._

There are a couple of more lines of what appear to be extra rules but they are erased out, or more accurately, brutally scratched out. On the next page there is some more writing about the Death Note but these appear to be observations deduced by L and the rest of the Task Force based on something called the Yotsuba Experiments. I yawn harshly and look at my clock, it is now a quarter till three in the morning and I have to get up for school at seven. This journal is going to stay with me, of that I had no doubt, so I tuck the picture into the spot it had been and re-do the leather string. I get out of bed and reach underneath, looking for the loose board that covers the spot I use to hide particular items from my family and carefully slip the journal in the hiding spot. I re-cover the hiding spot and get back into bed, still reeling from the information I have just discovered. What I learned tonight will change the way I look at the world now.

* * *

In the morning I prepare for school like normal though I find it difficult to keep away from the journal, wanting to read everything I had skipped the night before. There are still so many unanswered questions and so many things about the world that are different after just the few pages I have read, it is eye-opening to say the least. Still, there are more pressing matters than events that happened almost twenty years ago. Such as my date with Haluk Saturday afternoon and my paper to polish up, with a few subtle hints towards what I learned last night though not too much.

When I go downstairs I am surprised to see my father not in his usual spot at the table with his coffee and breakfast, and my mother seems somewhat on edge as she prepares scrambled eggs for Koji. I give him a look that asks what is going on here and he simply gives one back that says he has no idea. As I enter the kitchen I get the strangest feeling that I am now a stranger in my own home, that if I spoke to anyone they would not treat me the same as they had yesterday. Without really thinking I take my lunch bag from the counter then retrieve my satchel before leaving the house, not even sparring my family a glance. There is something going on here.

* * *

School ends with very little change from its usual routine, though Haluk did hold my hand at lunch and while we were walking in the halls. Not that I minded, I found his touch incredibly comforting after the strange morning I had, though I could have done without Sanne's icy glares whenever she saw me with Haluk. I guess she had a crush on him and only teased me about mine because she thought I would not do anything about it, leaving her way clear. I merely smiled at her and spoke primarily to Parisa. Which would explain why I am currently walking home alone, Sanne having opted to get a ride with one of her many admirers.

I get to the park that's just a few blocks from my house and decide to cut through it instead of continuing on the sidewalk, wanting to spend a few moments in the solitary peace of nature before going home. Something in my gut said it would still be a chilly reception if I go home now. I head down the path through the grove of trees, listening to the gentle rustling of leaves and the sounds of small animals as they go about their day, completely innocent to the world of man. I pass by an apple tree when I see something very strange; I turn around and go back to the tree, noticing that there is a small pile of apples neatly stacked at the base of the trunk and on the very top I see a black notebook. My pulse quickens as I crouch down in front of the pile, I have a feeling I know what this notebook actually is and when I have a better view, I am trembling. The notebook was black with white writing across the top that read: Death Note.


	4. Dark Gifts

I can feel my entire body trembling and my heart pounding as I look at the notebook, for a moment I think it has to be a prank, a brilliant replication put here just to see who would pick it up and what they would do with it. Then I remember from my father's journal that only a few people knew about the Death Note, and that details about its existence had not been made public, if they had I would have known about it before. This could very well be a trap; one set by someone who wanted to catch another possible Kira, or who thought another might be running around. No, that cannot be the case, if it were why put it someplace public where anyone could stumble across it? This had to be a real Death Note.

Cautiously I look around to see if anyone is close by, the last thing I want to happen is to be caught with this notebook should it turn out to be a trap, and I slowly reach for it waiting to see if someone is going to stop me. My hands are hovering over the cover, I can almost feel the material, sweat forming on my brow as I take a deep breath and pick up the Death Note. The moment my skin touches it I feel a surge of energy go through me and I am knocked to the ground, landing on my back. There is a blinding pain behind my eyes, similar to the one I experience with my migraines, and I tentatively open them when the pain subsides enough. Instantly I notice the world is different, it is slightly warped and in varying shades of red depending on where I look. This is new.

"Are you alright, miss?" asks a voice above me, I move my head and look to get a better view of the speaker. I cannot really see him save for his hat, which is covering most of his face.

"Yes," I say as I get myself up. "Thank you for your concern."

"Did you trip?" he asks as I turn around, when I see his face I have to refrain from gasping.

"I suppose I must have," I reply though my eyes are fixated not on him but the words and numbers floating above his head. "There must have been dew on the grass and when I went to retrieve my notebook, my foot slipped." I recognize the characters, they read Minobe Akako, which I can only guess, is his name but the numbers do not make any sense to me. I shut my eyes tight and rub them, when I open them, the world is back to normal and I can no longer see anything above his head. Nothing else about him is outwardly unusual, he is carrying a briefcase and a cane, and he is dressed in a stylish business suit that appears custom made along with the hat I noticed earlier. If the image of his name and those numbers are being emitted from someplace, the device certainly is not on his person.

Mr. Minobe chuckles. "In too much of a hurry it seems, to pay attention to the little details. Child, if I may ask, what is your name?"

"Noriko Matsuda," I reply with a slight bow, wondering who the hell this man is and how he found me so quickly. "Sir, how did you find me? I wasn't aware anyone else was on this path."

"If you are asking if I saw you trip, I did not," replies Mr. Minobe. "You must have been on the ground already when I came walking up. Don't worry Miss Matsuda, your dignity is still in tact."

Inwardly I grin, this man does not seem to be lying, which means he is not aware of what actually transpired and probably does not see the notebook. "Thank you, sir. I would be mortified to think my clumsiness was witnessed by someone as distinguished as yourself."

"You are too kind," he says and then extracts a business card from his breast pocket. "Here, this is my card, if you are ever in any danger of losing your dignity again, please do not hesitate to call me."

"Thank you again," I say as I accept it before bowing again to him. He then starts walking down the path and when his back is turned, I glance at the business card though my heart is racing as I do. Sure enough the characters on the business cards match those that I saw floating above his head, so this new vision I have allows me to see a person's name. This is a power of the Death Note I was not aware of and instead of being frightened I feel empowered, perhaps the _Shinigami_ were not as honest with the police as they had been lead to believe.

I tuck the business card in my satchel pocket and retrieve the Death Note then put it in my bag, safely hidden among my texts and other notebooks. I want to run, run all of the way home and inspect my new treasure but I force myself to continue walking at an agonizingly slow pace. If I am going to keep this notebook from my family and the world, I have to act as if nothing has changed, a task I find incredibly difficult to accomplish.

* * *

When I arrive home I see Koji sitting outside on our front step, he seems distressed and appears to be sulking when I walk up, the moment he sees me he jumps from his spot and rushes to me. He throws his arms around my waist and hugs me as if I had been gone for months instead of hours, now I know something is wrong.

"Koji, why aren't you at swim practice?" I ask as we go to the door. He is still in his school uniform and his backpack is resting beside the front door, which can only mean that neither of our parents is home at the moment, which is strange since Mom is always home to take Koji to his activities.

"Mom's not here," he says as he picks up his backpack while I unlock the door with my house key, something else I find to be out of place. "She said she would be, like always. Do you think something's happened to her?"

His dark eyes are pleading with me to tell him some dark truth he thinks I know of, and I shake my head. "No, Koji, I'm sure Mom's fine," I say as we enter the house. "She might have had to run an important errand and neglected to leave the house unlocked. Why don't you go upstairs and change and I'll make you a snack?"

Koji nods as kicks off his shoes and throws his backpack down on the ground; he takes off running to the stairs, his mind fixated solely on the notion of getting fed soon. Food has always been a great way of distracting Koji whenever he is upset or something strange is going on like right now. I lean down and move Koji's shoes under the coat hooks and hang his backpack up on its peg before doing the same, only I do not hang up my satchel; instead I head upstairs to my room so I can at least have the peace of mind that the Death Note is away from my family.

When I return downstairs I hear the television already on and see Koji sitting expectantly at the table though he is completely absorbed in the show he is watching, I try not to laugh, the whole sight is a little bit absurd. This is his version of doing two things at once. I walk past him and into the kitchen, mentally going over what we have in the cupboards, thinking which ingredients will be easier to fix into a suitable snack for Koji. I find graham crackers, cream cheese and some sliced up kiwi fruit. Not exactly a fantastic snack but it is better than giving him something full of grease and fat.

I prepare a plate for him and one for myself, determining that it would be rude to just leave him alone and go investigate the notebook when he is still upset about Mom. I can tell he is trying to hide is concern by watching something humorous on television, something that will make him laugh so he will feel slightly better. I would be a terrible sister if I just abandoned him in his current state of mind.

"Here you go," I say as I put the plate of snacks in front of him. "Sorry it isn't something more, but I couldn't find anything else."

"Thanks, Nori," says Koji as he picks up a graham cracker square. "I like these kinds of snacks anyway."

I raise an eyebrow skeptically, usually it takes a great deal of persuasion to get him to even eat a single apple as an afternoon snack, now he is willingly eating a graham cracker covered in cream cheese with kiwi slices? Something is definitely up with him.

"Hey, Koji," I say as I pick up a cracker, "why was Mom so irritated this morning?"

Koji shrugs his eyes focused on the television, snack in hand. "I'm not sure, she was fine until Dad whispered something to her and then she got really upset. I heard Dad say 'CIA' so it might have something to do with people Mom used to work with."

This is interesting, usually the only time Mom hears from the CIA is if a colleague of hers has been killed or is retiring, and she only gets upset over the former. Besides if one of her colleagues had died, Dad would not have left the house, he would have stayed with her and comforted her like in the past. There is more to this.

"I doubt it," I say casually. "If that were the case then Dad would have said something about it and Mom wouldn't have left. We'd have left for the airport by now if, so we could go to the funeral, not sitting here without her or Dad."

Koji shrugs again, obviously not grasping what I am saying but I can hardly blame him, none of what I have said is an answer to where Mom is and why she left.

"Koji," I say after a brief silence. "Do you want to borrow that game of mine you like so much? I don't think Mom and Dad will mind you playing it so long as you do your homework."

"Thanks, Nori!" he says happily and he nearly jumps out of his seat racing over to the drawer Mom keeps our games in, he drops to his stomach and extracts the key she has tapped to the underside of the cabinet. In the past we would have had to ask Mom or Dad if we could play our games but since I turned seventeen, they changed the rule so I could give permission as well.

He opens the drawer and pulls out my favorite RPG game, one I rarely let anyone else play and he vaults over the sofa to get to the gaming console we keep in the entertainment center. The moment he starts it up I know he is completely engrossed in the game and will be for several hours until Mom and Dad come back and make him do his homework. I know my little brother, he will only really do his homework if Mom or Dad gives the order, he just gives me the promise that he will. This would normally bother me since I value academics highly but not today, today I have something else to occupy my time that does not involve lecturing to Koji.

"I'm going to go upstairs and study," I say clearing away our half eaten snack. "Let me know if Mom and Dad get back."

A nod is the only confirmation I have that Koji has heard me at all and I then go upstairs, eager to investigate the Death Note properly. With Koji on the game and Mom and Dad gone, I will have almost guaranteed privacy, so there is little chance anyone will catch me red handed with the notebook. I wonder if there is a _Shinigami_ in my room already?

* * *

To my disappointment, there is no _Shinigami_ in my room waiting to greet me but the Death Note is still tucked away safely in my satchel, though safe is a relative term in this case. If I am going to be the new owner of this weapon, I will have to find it a better hiding spot than amongst my school things where someone was sure to find it. The notebook will probably end up in my usual hiding spot, the one no one in my family knows about.

Fortunately when I touch it again I am not blinded by pain, so I take it out completely and sit it out on my desk as if it is a specimen for study instead of use. I flip open the cover page and immediately notice the set of instructions on the inside; they are the same ones my father wrote in his journal so I know this is genuine. I take out a pencil but I write nothing, despite the fact the first page is laid bare before me I cannot bring myself to write a single character in the notebook. I know enough about the Death Note to know that it is real and incredibly powerful, yet I do not know everything, and it has been my experience that tampering with something I have limited information about is not a good idea. It is similar to mixing chemicals together, one slip and everything is destroyed.

My curiosity about the notebook is sated for now, so I close it back up and go to the floor, pressing the loose floorboard up then sliding the notebook into the pocket of space that holds my father's journal and a few other things I wish to keep to myself. Now that that is taken care of, I decide to investigate why my vision changed when I touched the notebook and if I could get it to change again. I lie down on my bed and stare up at the ceiling, clearing my mind of all distracting thoughts before closing my eyes. I can feel a shift behind my eyes, it is subtle and barely there but I can feel it all the same, when I open my eyes my surroundings are bathed in red and I smile. _'So this isn't just a trick of the notebook,'_ I reason, as I look around my room in this new vision. If the notebook requires a person's name and face in order to kill someone and this second vision permits me to see someone's name then this power will certainly be of great use to me.

I can feel a throbbing behind my eyes, one I had not felt before switching to my second sight so I close my eyes again and focus on switching back to normal vision. Again I feel the slight shift and when I open my eyes once more my surroundings are normal, no longer red and the throbbing is beginning to subside. It would appear I cannot stay in my second vision for very long or it is likely I will develop a migraine. While I have suffered with aura migraines since I was a child, I do not want to unnecessarily cause one no matter the benefits, though perhaps with practice I might be able to increase the length of time I can maintain my second sight before I feel the symptoms of a migraine. At least now I know how to switch between visions.

"Dad!" I hear Koji shout from downstairs then I hear the distinct sounds of Koji's socked feet running on the floor, probably to hug Dad. I get up from my bed and make my way to my bedroom door, heading downstairs to greet my father.

"Hey, Nori!" calls Dad when he sees me. He appears tired and tense but he seems genuinely happy to see me, so it must just be Mom who is upset. "Thanks for taking care of your brother, I thought I'd be home in time to take him to swim practice."

I wave a hand dismissively. "He wasn't any trouble. And why were you going to take him, doesn't Mom usually do that?"

Dad nods as he heads towards the living room, Koji and I in tow. "Well, yes she does, but she was called away. There's a case in the United States that her old unit is working on and they need her help, so she caught the first plane out."

This is strange, if Mom really had been called in by the CIA, why were we not told sooner? Why wait until now to tell us something this important? Dad is hiding something.

"When will she be back?" asks Koji as he resumes his spot on the couch.

"That all really depends on how involved she needs to be on the case," replies Dad, a little too smoothly. This whole conversation sounds rehearsed. "Anyway, she should be back sooner than later, her absence just means we'll be having take away for dinner. Since, as you both know, I can't cook to save myself."

Koji and I both laugh, recalling Dad's last attempt at making a meal for us, the fire department had given him a stern lecture about forgetting to take food out of the oven.

"Yeah, I don't think Mom wants to come home to see fire trucks again," laughed Koji, and he fell over he was laughing so hard.

"You never know, Koji, they might give you a ride like last time," I chuckle, trying to keep from falling to the ground from laughter myself.

Dad scowls at us as he grabs a drink from the refrigerator. "If you keep it up, we won't go to that burger place you two love so much."

Immediately we both stop laughing and Dad grins, thinking victory has been achieved in the face of his adversaries. He gets the same look whenever we play a game together, at least until Koji and I team up to beat him, and then things get serious. Thinking about playing games together makes me realize that it has been a while since we did that; actually it has been a long time since we have done anything as a family that was not obligatory.

"Hey Dad, maybe after dinner we could play a board game or something?" I suggest feeling slightly nostalgic.

"That's a great idea, honey," says Dad happily as he sips his drink. "Are you sure you don't need to study though?"

I shake my head. "Not tonight, and in all honesty, I've missed being with you guys."

"Nori's picking us over school work! I think I'm going to faint!" cries Koji and he pretends to pass out on the couch. I pounce and start tickling him, causing him to screech with laughter.

"Chalk it up to temporary insanity," I tease, hitting his most ticklish spot, just under his armpit. "Tomorrow I'll be back to normal and studying my days away." He is breathless with laughter but he motions for me to stop so I do, though he is still out of breath.

"Then I say we enjoy Nori's insanity for as long as we have," says Dad, reaching into his coat pocket for his car keys. "Get in the car, we're going for dinner and ice cream!"

Koji nearly tackles me as he heads for the car, and I am right behind him, calling for the passenger's side seat as I do. Dad is behind us, laughing the entire time.

* * *

"No fair!" shouts Dad as he passes me the play money. "How is it you always end up owning the most expensive block in the game? I think you horde the money."

I laugh as I fan myself with his money. "Strategy, Father. Though it's impressive you haven't gone bankrupt yet."

"Yeah, makes the game more interesting when you're still in it," agrees Koji as he takes an orange card from the pile. "Nori, can I get a loan? I don't have enough to pay this fine."

"Of course," I nod as I pass him a few hundred dollars, which he then just passes back to me. This is a technique I use only for Koji, and for Mom sometimes when she is feeling particularly competitive.

Dad glowers at the two of us, obviously displeased with our strategy for playing this game. He should be used to it by now, so long as Koji and I are teamed up we are unstoppable, mostly since I am the one who helps him win or at least beats Dad. After so many years of this, I would have thought Dad would have caught onto this trick of ours, us teaming up to take him down then me beating Koji to win the game. It keeps the balance in the household.

"You know, you really shouldn't help your brother cheat," says Dad as he counts his meager money. "He won't develop the necessary skills needed in life to deal with disappointment."

"Mom says you don't have of those skills," replies Koji as he eats a potato chip and I laugh behind my hand, unable to stop myself.

"You two are terrible," grumbles Dad as he rolls the die.

I smile softly as I watch Dad and Koji, teasing each other as they play their turns, while I am still wondering where Mom is and why Dad is lying for her I know better than to take this kind of moment for granted. We so rarely are able to have these moments anymore and they will happen even less once I am going to To-Oh.

"Nori, c'mon! It's your turn!" Koji shouts, slightly annoyed as he pokes me in the shoulder while reaching for some more snacks. I swear he enjoys the snacks we have more than the games we play, but that is always how he has been. I take up the die and throw it on the table, moving my piece across the board, taking great joy as I bypass my father's owned territory.

* * *

It is nearly midnight when I return upstairs, the game and movie lasting longer than anticipated and I am eager to sleep, even though I would like to pursue my father's journal and the notebook further. As I dress for bed, I glance over at the floor beneath my bed; I have to be careful about how often I bring the notebook out of its hiding place, if someone is watching or hears the sound of the board being moved, then they could come to investigate which would mean all of this would be over before it really started. Not only that but I have to decide whether or not I should actually use the notebook in the first place. When Light was in possession of the Death Note, he became the most feared serial killer in the world and came close to becoming its ruler. While I have ambitions to surpass Light Yagami's accomplishments in many areas, I hardly want to become the ruler of the world, perhaps make it safer but not rule over humanity.

'_That's it! I could use the Death Note to make the world a safer place,'_ I realize as I turn around to get into bed. I still have no plans on using the notebook anytime soon, at least until I learn more about it, but using it to create a safer world is not a bad goal and so long as I do not do anything too risky I should not get caught. I just need to have an exit strategy, in case something does happen.

I am about to climb into bed when I notice something strange on my windowsill, it is an apple and when I look closer I can see the outline of something carved on its face. Quickly I grab the apple and angle it so I can read by the moonlight what is carved on it, and when I do I nearly drop it surprise. The characters carved into the apple are those that make up my name, though strangely I do not see my family name included, just my given. I am so shocked by the fact my name is inscribed on the apple, I almost fail to notice the back of the apple does not feel smooth like it should instead if feels bumpy and strange. I turn the apple over and in the moonlight I see writing delicately carved into the apple's flesh, this almost seems to have been done with a fine tool and some incredible dedication. I make out the message, using all of the characters on the apple:

_Noriko,_

_Meet me in the park at midnight, by the tree with the apple pile. Bring this apple and the notebook._

'_Someone already knows I have the notebook?'_ I wonder with slight panic as I reach for my handbag, it is just big enough for the notebook and the apple, as well as my cellphone, mace, and a pen. I quickly put everything I need in it. For all I know this could be a set up by the police, wanting the Death Note back, or it could be something far more sinister; if it is, the mace will be enough to subdue whomever is behind this long enough for me to write their name in the Death Note. While this is probably not the safest thing for me to do, I am hardly in a position to care; this person knows about me, that I have the Death Note, and where to find me. If I told my father about this message, I would have to tell him everything, including the fact I am in possession of the notebook which I am sure would not go over well with him. No, this has to be handled by me and me alone. This situation is a tad unnerving but I am confident about surviving, I have enough of an advantage that I will make it out of this exchange unscathed.

Putting the strap of my handbag up my arm and over my neck, I go into my closet and pull out a long coat and a pair of shoes, both of which I put on before opening my window as carefully and quietly as I am able to. This is certainly not the first time I have snuck out of the house after curfew but it is the first time I have a mission beyond hanging out with my friends for a few extra hours. I climb onto the roof and close the window behind me, making sure I put a small rock between it and the sill so I can open it later, then I head towards the front of the house. I keep to the shadows though I am sure no one has seen me, and when I arrive at the wooden beam under the porch awning I breathe a small sigh of relief, I am almost to the ground. Carefully I lower myself until my legs are dangling over the edge and then I ease the rest of my body down until I am hanging onto the roof, and I drop myself to the ground. I land on my side and wait for three heartbeats before getting myself up from the ground, if anyone was going to come out and find me, that would have been the trigger. When I determine no one is coming I take off towards the park.

* * *

The park is deserted when I arrive, just as I expected to find it and I am sure this is why my stalker decided to set up our meeting here. Whatever he wants from me, he obviously does not want any witnesses, which works out well for me considering I do not want anyone to see me if I have to kill this person. I make my way to the tree where I had found the pile of apples and the Death Note, expecting to see my stalker waiting for me when I arrive. When I do arrive I am surprised to see no one waiting and the pile of apples is gone, there is no trace that they had been there in the first place.

'_What's going on?'_ I wonder as I look around. The dim lighting from the streetlights barely gives me any visibility and if someone were to sneak up on me from behind or the shadows, I doubt I would see it coming. Either my stalker has decided to back out of this meeting or he has something far more menacing planned. With hardly any struggle, I pull my arm from my coat sleeve and rest it on the mace in the outside pocket of my purse, better to be prepared than sorry.

Suddenly I hear the rustling of leaves above me and I take a step back from the tree, my eyes fixed on the branches, when I see a great bird leap from within and I hear it land behind me. Turning around I gasp, this is no bird at all. The creature is human in its basic anatomy but aside from that it is of another world; it has black spiked hair, slightly grey skin, abnormally long arms and legs, large black wings with glossy feathers, and eyes that seem to be looking at my very soul. It is covered in dark clothing as well, and has what appear to be silver stiches across its collarbones and up past its neck, on a silver chain around his waist I see a Death Note hanging off of it in a leather binding. This thing is no stalker nor is it human: it is a _Shinigami_.

"I see you got my message," says the Shinigami. "Good, I was worried you might have eaten it or something."

I relax and slide my hand back into my sleeve; the _Shinigami_ is not going to kill me, at least not right now. "Yes, I did. I have to say it was clever of you to write it on an apple. If I wanted I could easily eat it or cut it up and no one would have been the wiser to our meeting."

The Shinigami nods. "You catch on fast. Now, did you bring it with you?"

"Of course," I reply and I take it out of my bag. Before I have a chance to ask why, he snatches it from my hand and nearly swallows it whole, which I suppose takes care of the evidence. "You really like apples, don't you?" I ask, slightly amused.

"Yeah," he says eagerly. "They're, what do you call them again? Juicy, that's the word. So much better than the apples in the _Shinigami_ Realm."

"Did you eat that pile of apples that was here earlier?" I ask, motioning to the spot where I had picked up the notebook.

Again he nods. "I did, and I'm the one who left the Death Note for you in the first place."

My heart races at his words, he left the notebook for me to find on purpose? Why? What does he gain by doing that? I have to approach this carefully; he might be trying to trick me for all I know.

"Then that confirms my suspicions that you are in fact a _Shinigami_," I say calmly. "And I feel at a slight disadvantage, _Shinigami_, as you obviously know my name but I have no idea what yours is."

He smiles at me, revealing the jagged and sharp teeth hidden behind his blue lips. "My name is Ryuk."

"Well, Ryuk, it is a pleasure to meet you," I say with a slight bow. "When I came here tonight I hardly expected to meet you, I was half anticipating a police officer."

"Oh? Expecting to be in trouble, were you?" he asks with a slight snicker. Apparently my expectations for this meeting amuse him.

"You could say that," I reply, taking out the notebook from my handbag. "I know what this is and what it's done in the past, I also know the police know, and if they catch me with it I'm sure to be arrested. Having Kira's weapon in my possession is likely against the law or at least, earn me a minor sentence."

Ryuk seems slightly surprised at my statement. "So, you know about Kira and the Death Note? How?"

"My father worked on the task force created to stop Kira," I say easily, there is no point in hiding this information, he would have found out sooner or later. "I found his journal and read most of it, even finding an entry regarding the properties of the Death Note. I also know who Kira used to be, and guessing by your words earlier, you knew him or about him at least."

"I did know him," says Ryuk and he stares up at the moon. "He was certainly interesting."

"Why have you come back?" I ask after a moment of silence.

He merely shrugs his shoulders and looks back at me. "I guess I'm bored again, and I've been craving human apples like crazy, so I thought I might as well kill two birds with one stone."

"And you gave this Death Note to me for what reason, exactly?" I ask, motioning to my notebook as I speak.

"You seemed the most interesting," he says with another shrug, but I can tell he is lying, or at least withholding his actual reason for giving me the Death Note in the first place. I suppose I can play along and wait for him to tell me.

I nod and then smile wickedly. "You're the bird who's been following me around, aren't you?"

"And how are you so sure?" he asks, leaning up against the nearest tree.

"Your wings and the bird's are exactly the same," I reply and he looks surprised. "Not to mention your hair and its head crest are in the same pattern. So you followed me around to see if I was worthy of having a Death Note?"

"More or less," says Ryuk, running a large hand over his hair, as if trying to change its shape. "And I have to say, you are hardly a disappointing choice. Have you written any names in it yet?"

I shake my head. "Not yet, first I want to understand this weapon better. I have a basic grasp of what it does and how I can use it, but I want details before I start killing people with it. And I believe you can help me with that, Ryuk."

Ryuk smiles and starts chuckling. "And what makes you so sure I'll be of any help to you at all? I could just sit on the sidelines and watch you figure it out yourself, which I am fully prepared to do."

"Oh, then in that case," I say as I put the notebook back in my handbag, "I guess I won't be using it after all. Enjoy the park, Ryuk." I start walking back towards my house, waiting for Ryuk's reaction.

"Wait!" he calls out and I pause.

"Yes?" I ask calmly, turning around to look at him.

"You have to use the notebook or I'll have no choice but to kill you," he says and I consider his words.

"If that's the case, then why not help me better understand?" I ask placidly.

This was obviously not the response Ryuk had hoped for. "Because I don't want to get too involved, I just want to sit back and watch whatever you plan on doing unfold, I'm more of a spectator than an active participant."

"And I'm not about to use this without knowing what it is capable of," I say sternly but I take it back out of my purse and extend it to him. "Though if you'd rather not help me, then by all means, take the notebook back and give it to someone who'll blindly use it and give you lots of entertainment."

Ryuk stares at the notebook and then back up at me. "Are you giving up ownership?"

"Do you want me to?" I ask, my eyes meeting his. We stare at each other for a few seconds and then he looks away, sighing heavily as he does.

"Fine, I'll help you," he says, though he sounds reluctant. "Just don't expect me to be happy about it or anything."

I smile as I put the notebook back in my purse. "Thank you, Ryuk. To show my appreciation, I'll give you an apple when we get home and as many as I can after that."

His strange eyes light up with excitement as we start heading home, me walking the dark path, him flying above me. Though I hardly know anything about him, this feels strangely familiar and normal, as if he has always been with me. This meeting turned out better than I could have ever hoped, now with Ryuk on my side and whatever knowledge he has to share with me, I am one step closer to creating a safer world for all of humanity. I will use the Death Note and become a better Kira.


	5. Firsts

**A/N: Just a bit of a heads up, there are changing POVs. Enjoy!**

* * *

I toss an apple to Ryuk as I stare at the still blank first page of the notebook, I listen to him eat the apple with surprising speed and chuckle to myself, the way he eats reminds me of my father and brother whenever Mom makes something they really like. If he were not a _Shinigami_, he would easily fit in with my family. Without writing anything, I slide the notebook into its new hiding spot, one I had created a few days ago after Ryuk told me that anyone who touches the Death Note will be able to see and hear him.

While watching someone's reaction to actually seeing a _Shinigami_ in the flesh would be entertaining, it would more likely give away my identity as the new Kira. So I took the sliding board my computer keyboard rested and hollowed it out through the front face; making sure it was deep enough I could slide the notebook in and out easily and then covered the hole with a piece of flat metal attached to a hinge that ran the length of the board. The board had always had a piece of metal across the front but now it was able to move up and down which allowed me to easily access the notebook. When I asked Ryuk how Light had hidden the notebook, he said he used a false drawer bottom and a small gasoline container that would ignite if the bottom was forced open, creating an explosion. The false bottom idea was ingenious but attaching it to a circuit that would ignite a container full of gasoline was far too risky not to mention obvious. Even if he used the lie that he was hiding his "diary" there, creating a fire to try and keep it secret was too unbelievable; a normal person would question what he had written in the diary to warrant such security measures.

My set up is far more understated yes, but it is safer for everyone involved and I can use a more believable cover story. So far my best one is it is my graduate thesis, and I am hiding it to prevent it from being stolen; this is not entirely unbelievable, as I have had important papers taken in the past. Ryuk seems impressed and even said I can use it to hide snacks if I wanted, a hint that I should have more food readily available to him.

"It's been several days now, why haven't you written any names yet?" asks Ryuk from his spot on my ceiling. "I've told you a great deal more about the notebook than I have anyone else in the past, so why don't you use it already?"

I sigh and turn around to face him. "Yes, you have, Ryuk and I greatly appreciate all you've told me. But I don't know if I can use the notebook."

Ryuk pushes off the ceiling and floats down to sit on my bed. "What do you mean? Is this whole thing a little too complicated for you, Nori?"

"No, it's nothing like that," I say with a slight chuckle. "I understand how the notebook works and some of its other parameters, not to mention I know some of Light's mistakes and how to avoid them. The biggest issue I have is not knowing whether or not the ICPO has made alterations to their system of announcing criminals; like fake names or false pictures or both."

"I guess if they're smart, they did makes some changes," concedes Ryuk as he flips through a magazine I had on my bedside table. "There is a way though to figure out if they're using fake names for the criminals they broadcast on the news."

'_This is new,'_ I muse as I turn my full attention to the _Shinigami_. "All right Ryuk, I'll bite," I say as I cross my legs. "How can I tell if the police are using fake names?"

Ryuk smiles at me, obviously he has been waiting for this moment since we first met. "First, let me explain the two differences between a _Shinigami_ and a human who has a Death Note," he says, unable to keep his grin from growing larger. "_Shinigami_ use their Death Notes to take human lives in order to extend their own. For example, let's say you have a human who's supposed to live eighty years but a _Shinigami_ kills him at age thirty; Eighty minus thirty is fifty, so that _Shinigami_ would get fifty years added onto their lifespan. Humans who have a Death Note cannot extend their life by killing others. That is the first difference."

"I have to admit, I'm impressed," I say with a slight shrug. "I knew there would be some differences between us but I didn't think it would be this extreme. Okay, Ryuk, what's the second difference?"

"The second difference has to do with our eyes," he says, pointing at his face. "_Shinigami_ are able to see a person's name and lifespan just by looking at them, we never have to worry about not knowing a person's name. We're always able to kill any target."

'_Name and lifespan?'_ I wonder, thinking about the second vision I now possess. "Again, very intriguing," I say casually. "Is there a point to this?"

"Of course there is," replies Ryuk and I toss him another apple. "Since you are now the owner of my notebook, I am allowed to offer you a deal, one that's been with us since ancient times. You can have the power of _Shinigami_ eyes, for a price."

I try not to laugh, it is pretty obvious Ryuk does not know about my power otherwise he would not have brought this up in the first place. "Let me guess, the price is a certain number of years from my lifespan?" I suggest, smiling at him.

Ryuk looks surprised but quickly recovers. "Yeah, how'd you know?"

"Human lifespans are the only thing worth anything to a _Shinigami_, you said as much just a few minutes ago," I reply and he nods.

"The price of a _Shinigami's_ eyes is half of your remaining lifespan," says Ryuk, his eyes glowing red for emphasis. "So what do you say, Nori? Having the Eyes would certainly let you know whether or not the police are using false names."

"You're right," I say triumphantly. "They certainly would allow me to know, but . . . I already have the Eyes."

My statement completely floors Ryuk; honestly he looks as if someone has stabbed him. I have to keep from laughing again, the ridiculous look on his face is too much, and of everything I could have said to him that apparently was not even on the list.

"What? How?" he asks, the shock causing him to forget some smart remark. "It's not possible, you haven't been in contact with any _Shinigami_, and your lifespan's intact. You're just screwing with me, right, Nori?"

"Not at all," I say and then I pull out a piece of paper and write the sequence of numbers I saw over Mr. Minobe's head. I write them out exactly as I saw them, with the spaces between them and everything. "Here, I saw these numbers above a man's head when I first touched the notebook, do these numbers resemble someone's lifespan?"

Ryuk came over and looks over my shoulder at the numbers I wrote. "Yeah, they do. I wonder how it's even possible you have the Eyes without making the deal with another _Shinigami_. Only one human's ever been born with the Eyes and he's been dead for several years now. And before you ask, it wasn't Light."

"How do you know this person had the Eyes?" I ask, methodically tearing up the paper I had written on. "Can _Shinigami_ tell that kind of thing?"

"Doubtful, otherwise I would've known you had the Eyes before I said anything about them," says Ryuk with a shrug. "And I read about that other guy in one of Light's old police files, I recognized the calculations he did as those used to figure out a person's determined date of death. And no, I won't be telling you how to figure it out, either."

"Fine," I say as I feed the torn pieces of paper into my shredder. I have to be extremely careful about what I have lying around my room now, even something as meaningless as these numbers might give someone who knows about the notebook a very big clue. The less evidence I have the less chance I have of conviction. Even though I have yet to actually use the notebook, just having it in my possession might be seen as attempted murder, which meant I might be thrown in prison even without using it.

"Ryuk," I say when I am finished shredding the paper. "Why are you so bored? Surely the _Shinigami_ realm has some redeeming qualities."

Ryuk shrugs as he sits back down on my bed. "Honestly, it's pretty boring there. We lead meaningless and boring lives, filled with endless gambling and lounging around taking naps. We only kill when our lifespans are dwindling to a point we don't like and even then the others just make fun of you if you write a name in your Death Note."

"So you really did come to the human world for entertainment," I say with a smile before turning on my computer. _'Might as well give this a shot,' _I think as I type in my search. If I am going to do this, I am going to do it all of the way, though I am hardly going to use prisoners from Japan. If that is how L determined the location of the first Kira then I am going to make sure I use prisoners from around the world as my first victims. This way even if L or the police suspect that Kira has returned, they cannot pin down my location right away. Without hesitation, I reach for a pen and then I pull out the notebook, turning to the first page.

"Oh, going to use the notebook finally?" asks Ryuk excitedly, I can feel his eyes boring into me as I search the news for criminals worthy of being my first targets.

I nod, clicking on a recent article. "You've told me enough that I feel confident in not being caught right away, plus thanks to my preliminary research, I know some of L's possible tricks. I'm sure I'll avoid immediate detection; the problem will be if someone catches onto what I'm doing or starts suspecting me. If that happens, I should have a backup plan in place, which I have not gotten to just yet."

"You've thought everything else through except your backup plan?" laughs Ryuk and I smirk.

"Oh, I have a backup plan right now, just not one for specifically dealing with L," I say as I click on the pictures of several convicts. I close my eyes and shift to my second vision, when I open them I see the names of the people floating above their pictures, and sure enough most of them have fictitious names. I reach for my pen and then look back at the pictures and start writing the first name, making sure it is spelled as I see it and then after it, I write the way I want this man to die. This particular man has been convicted of raping three nine year old girls but is about to be released on parole, apparently there has been a great uproar over this in the United States. I write that he will be killed by one of the protestors in three days time, when he is set to be released from prison.

"Interesting," says Ryuk as I start writing the second name. "I see you're not going straight for heart attacks, any particular reason?"

"Unlike Light, I don't want anyone to know of my existence," I say as I fill in the details of the second death. "I want to be able to clean up this world without attracting unnecessary attention to myself, and the mask of Kira allows me to do that. I can hide behind it easily, letting the world think their god has returned while maintaining my innocence and I still get recognition."

"So you don't want to be a god, huh? Interesting," says Ryuk and I smirk. "So what's the point of any of this if you aren't going to rule over the world?"

I pause in writing the names and look at him. "Who says I won't rule the world someday? There's more than one way of controlling the outcome of the world and I intend to find one that allows me to lead a normal life while still maintaining control."

Ryuk looks at me curiously. "Why are you so intent on leading a normal life? You're hardly normal as it is."

"I guess I'll take that as a compliment," I say as I resume writing names. "To answer your original question, I'm intent on having a normal life because it's what typical humans want. Any alteration to that plan would bring about suspicion, and expose the double life I truly want. I want to be both Noriko Matsuda, the above average college freshman and the Fifth Kira, who's cleaning up the world to make it a safer place to live. Get it?"

"I guess," says Ryuk and I struggle against rolling my eyes. "Anyway, why'd you choose now to write names? I thought you weren't planning on it."

"You're right, I wasn't," I say, as I write the final name and death circumstances. "But our little talk about the Eyes convinced me otherwise. Once you told me what they are and how they are used, I was sure I could use my Eyes to get around police security. That was actually my biggest obstacle and part of the reason why I wasn't writing names. Now I can test half of their security measures, which is why I'm only writing five names and circumstances. I know they changed the names but what I can't figure out right now is if these are their real pictures or altered ones. I know they didn't switch the pictures with others; otherwise the public would be put at risk, as not knowing the face of a serial killer would certainly be detrimental. Having slightly altered photos might be enough to both warn the public and keep the convicts safe from Kira. This is a small experiment to see if these measures are indeed in place."

"That makes sense, I suppose," says Ryuk and he reaches for my cell phone, and then starts to go through it. "Hey Nori, who's this Haluk person? He certainly sends you a lot of messages."

I smile as I put away the notebook and clean my computer. "He's kind of my boyfriend," I say, switching back to my normal vision before my headache became worse. "We've been friends for years and he just recently asked me on a date. Speaking of which, I meant to tell you that I'm going out with him tomorrow afternoon, so you'll have the house to yourself."

"You don't want me to go with you?" asks Ryuk, sounding slightly offended.

"Wow, Ryuk, I didn't know you had a voyeur kink," I say, laughing loudly, glad that my father and brother were out of the house, otherwise they might come up and check on me. I know they cannot see Ryuk but they can still hear me, and that would be problematic if they overheard me talking to Ryuk.

"I don't know what that means, what I do know is being in the house without someone to talk to would be boring," replies Ryuk, rolling his shoulders. "So, do you want me to go with your or not? I honestly wouldn't mind getting out of the house and seeing someplace other than your school and bedroom."

I nod, if he wants to come and explore then who am I to stop him? "Sure, Ryuk," I say kindly. "Actually it might be rather entertaining having you along, just make sure you don't eat all of the food, okay?"

"If apples are involved, I make no promises," says Ryuk with a throaty chuckle. "Why don't we go downstairs and play that racing game? I'm bored and we're the only ones in the house right now."

"Okay, I could go for a little racing," I say standing up from my desk chair. "Though don't get mad at me this time if I have to shut off your controller in the middle of a race."

"Fine, fine," sighs Ryuk and we head downstairs.

* * *

I look over at her as we play, her face screwed up in concentration as she takes the lead in the race, her eyes shining brightly. She is like him in so many ways, yet at the same time so very different, not that I mind she obviously knows how to have fun and is a much better companion than he was. Nori at least talks to me about more than just the Death Note; though she is just as curious at it the notebook is not our only topic of conversation, and she laughs easily. She also gives me apples whenever I ask and does not seem to mind that I have to hang around her, actually she seems rather pleased about that. There are many similarities between her and Light yet just as many differences, and I am glad I did end up giving the notebook to her, she might prove more entertaining.

"Ryuk, you know I'm about to win, right?" she asks just as she enters the final lap and I am still behind.

"Don't act so cocky, Nori, I still have a chance," I say and she laughs, not in the evil maniacal way but in the happy kind of way. Yes, I prefer her to Light.

* * *

"So Haluk's that guy who's always hanging around you?" asks Ryuk as I rummage through my closet.

It is finally Saturday and I have a couple of hours to get ready before my date with Haluk, and to say I am nervous would be a gross understatement. Over the years I have gone out on dates though not true ones; I have gone to school dances with boys and concerts as well, but nothing like this. This date is different entirely, and as anxious as I am, I am just as excited.

"Yeah," I say, pulling out a dress. "He's the boy with glasses and dark hair."

"And Parisa's the small girl with light pink hair?" asks Haluk and I can hear him selecting an apple as I dive back into my closet, looking for a decent pair of shoes.

"Yes, that's Pari," I say and then I smile. "She actually has white blonde hair but dyed it sometime ago and that's how she got her pink hair. Honestly, she looks better with it pink than blonde." Ryuk has been asking me several questions about the people I interact with, probably to sate his curiosity, and I am more than willing to tell him about my friends.

"So it never changed back?" asks Ryuk as I turn around, my outfit picked out and I put the clothes on the bed.

I laugh; I can see why he would assume something like that, based on my previous statement. "No, it does change back but she likes it pink so she dyes it before it gets too blonde."

Ryuk nods his understanding. "What color was she going for originally?"

"I believe she was going for a red color, like Sanne's but neither of them anticipated that the red dye would turn her hair pink," I say as I pull out my jewelry box and select a necklace and earrings. "I told them that would happen, but they didn't believe me, and when it did Sanne went as far as telling Pari to wear a hat at all times whenever she was around me. Sanne really hates it when I'm right, so she tried to hide that fact from me regarding Pari. Needless to say, it didn't work."

"I'd imagine not," chuckles Ryuk as he floats to the ceiling. "You must be insufferable whenever you're right."

"Possibly but I doubt it," I say with a smirk. "In these last few days, you really haven't noticed how I behave when I'm right, have you?"

"I guess not," says Ryuk thoughtfully. "Maybe I'm wrong, maybe you aren't insufferable or smug, which is a relief. I don't think I could handle another arrogant genius."

"Oh, I can be arrogant," I say gathering up my things. "Believe it or not, Ryuk, I'm very much in tune with my shortcomings. I just choose not to acknowledge them whenever possible. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get changed."

I head into the washroom, making sure to lock the door behind me and begin changing out of my pajamas and into the outfit I had selected for my date. This being April, I have decided to wear a spring dress, one I am sure Haluk will love and one my father will strongly disapprove of because it shows way too much skin for his comfort. My father has always been protective of me and does not see me as an almost adult, as he has told me before he still thinks of me as the little girl just learning how to ride a bike.

When the dress is on, I slide on a pair of white laced flats before putting on the jewelry I picked out earlier, surprised that the outfit looks as good as it does on me. The dress is a white base with red, yellow, and orange colored designs sprayed across and goes to just above my knee, and a scooped neckline. My necklace, a teardrop pink stone, sits below the hollow in my neck and the matching earrings sparkle from underneath my hair. Today I have decided to leave my hair down, brushing it and styling it so the pieces that hang around my face are fastened just below my skull. Next step is make-up; I apply a favorable amount of blush to my cheeks and then eyeliner, going a little heavier with it than I normally do along with a light pink eyeshadow, and then I put on a rich red colored lipstick. When I am finished, I take a step back so I can see myself in the limited view of the bathroom mirror, I have to do a double take to make sure that it is really me I am seeing. Normally I am self-assured in my appearance but today I am stunned to see myself in this new light, I look far more grown up than I did just a few hours ago, perhaps this is similar to what my father was talking about.

I leave the washroom after spritzing on some sweet smelling perfume and I hear Ryuk choke as I enter the room. My guess would be he did not think I could look like this.

"Whoa," he says approvingly and I cannot help but blush. "Are you actually Nori? You look so different now."

"Yes Ryuk, it's me," I say with a slight eye roll as I put my clothes in the hamper. "I didn't realize that a dress and some cosmetics would make me look like a completely different person to you." I spin around in a small circle so he can see the full effect.

Ryuk nods appreciatively. "It's not that, it's like you're Nori but not Nori. Either way, this Haluk guy is going to have a heart attack when he sees you."

"So is my father," I say with a laugh. "Maybe this should be how I act as Kira, killing with heart attacks induced by my appearance rather than using the notebook."

"That would certainly be an original method," agrees Ryuk as he jumps up from my bed. "So, what do you and Haluk plan on doing on this date?"

I shrug, smoothing out the covers on my bed so it does not look like someone has been sitting on it. "I'm not entirely sure, he's been pretty tight lipped about what he has planned, actually. Which is kind of surprising, considering the fact Haluk rarely keeps any secrets."

"Sounds like an ideal partner," says Ryuk and I toss him his fourth apple of the day. "Does your father approve of him?"

"I guess so, he hasn't said otherwise," I say as I admire myself in my full-length mirror on the back of my bedroom door. "By the way, Ryuk, do you have my cell phone? I was wondering if Haluk's texted me yet about whether or not he was on his way."

Ryuk rummages around his pockets and extracts my cell phone. "Here it is, and it looks like you do have a message. Here you go." He tosses me my phone and I catch it easily.

I open my phone's cover and I open the message from Haluk; he says he is on his way and he should be arriving in twenty minutes or so. "Come on, Ryuk, we should be getting downstairs," I say, opening my bedroom door and the _Shinigami_ looks at me strangely. "What? Did I say something that offended you?"

"Not at all," says Ryuk and he stands, no matter how many times I see him standing I am still surprised by how tall he really is, and with his hair almost going through the ceiling he seems even bigger. "I'm just not used to someone speaking to me like you do, Light was more fond of giving orders and some of the others I've been attached to usually try to suck up to me which gets irritating after a while."

"Would you feel better if I gave you some orders?" I ask with a wry smile, my voice barely above a whisper now since my door is open and I can hear my brother and father moving around downstairs. The last thing I need today is being interrogated as to why I am talking to myself.

Ryuk shakes his head as he follows me out of my room. "I wasn't complaining, just making an observation. Actually, it's kind of nice to be treated as an equal rather than as someone's superior or servant."

I smile at him as I descend down the stairs, very much aware that my family is now within earshot and Ryuk seems to understand this, as he does not press me for an explanation. Though I knew the notebook would bring a _Shinigami_ with it, I had no idea that he would be so approachable, I thought I would have to pull teeth to get a straight answer from him and while he is snarky it is just part of his charm. I also thought having him hang around would be a nuisance but in all honesty it is nice to have a roommate, and to have someone to talk to about my secret, if I did not have him around I think I would have gone mad by now. I think I'll get him something special as a way of saying thank you.

"Nori!" cries Koji when he hears me enter but the moment he sees me his eyes go wide. "Whoa, you look like a model!"

My father looks at me from his spot on the couch and I see something strange flicker in his eyes but he is quick to cover it. "You are not going on your date looking like that," he says sternly and I roll my eyes playfully.

"Dad, you know this is a perfectly acceptable outfit," I say as I sit down in the nearest chair, Ryuk snickers behind me. "It's not like I'm dressed in one of Sanne's outfits or something just as scandalous."

"Don't care, you're changing into jeans and a turtle neck," replies Dad and I have to keep from sighing. "I'm sure your mother would side with me if she were here, actually stand up. I'm going to take a picture of this outfit and send it to her so she can tell you herself."

I oblige and stand up, posing with my legs split slightly and I jut out a hip, crossing my arms for added effect; just so my mother knows this is hardly my idea. Dad frowns as he takes the picture, probably thinking the pose is too sexy for his little girl, and then he starts messing with his phone. Despite numerous attempts at helping him, he still does not know how to really use his phone beyond the basic functions. I watch as he smugly sends the picture to my mother, most likely with a message asking her whether or not she approves of my clothing option. We stand in silence for a few moments before my father's phone goes off.

"So what's the verdict?" I ask innocently and Ryuk laughs again, apparently impressed with my acting abilities.

Dad frowns and I know Mom is in favor of the outfit without him saying a word. Before he can say anything, however, I hear a car pull up to our house and one quick look out the window I can see that it is Haluk. _'Too late to change now,' _I muse happily as I open the door for Haluk. I see that he is carrying a small bouquet of flowers, nothing overly extravagant but they are a beautiful and thoughtful gift.

When Haluk sees me his eyes go as wide as saucers and he stops walking for a few moments just staring at me as if he has never met me before now, and I can feel myself blushing under his steady gaze. After he recovers from his initial shock, Haluk nearly sprints to the door and offers me the flowers, a sheepish grin on his face as if he is expecting this to all be a dream and I will tell him to leave. I accept the flowers with a sweet smile and he relaxes almost immediately, wordlessly I ask him to enter the house and I close the door behind him as he passes me.

"Hi, Haluk!" says Koji enthusiastically from the couch, now flipping through channels at a surprising speed, and Ryuk is having a difficult time keeping up with what he is seeing.

"Hey, Koji, good to see you," says Haluk as I pass him to go to the kitchen so I can put the flowers in some water. "Mr. Matsuda, it's a pleasure to see you again." Haluk bows slightly to my father who is standing rigidly with his arms crossed.

"The feeling's mutual, Haluk," says Dad though his voice is tight. "I understand you and my Nori are now dating."

Haluk blushes a deep red color and nods slightly. "Well, we are going on a date, but I don't believe that qualifies as dating yet, sir."

"Isn't your intention to take Noriko on several dates in the foreseeable future?" asks Dad, sounding more like a detective than a father at this time. Then again, this reaction is not really that unexpected, just annoying.

I keep myself occupied by preparing the flowers for the vase I selected, getting involved when I know better would not win Haluk any points with my father and would make it seem like he needs me to win his battles for him. Hardly the kind of man my father would want me with, and in all honesty, I would rather not be with someone who cannot defend himself against my father's questions. That would display weakness and that is a rather unattractive quality.

"That is in fact my intention, sir, but seeing as this is only our first date we are not technically dating," replies Haluk and I smile, so far he is doing well. "And considering we are on the topic of our first date, I would like to discuss it with you, so you can clarify a few things for me."

My father says nothing, he merely nods and Haluk does the same before continuing with his explanation.

"I plan on taking Nori to the amusement park near the Tokyo Dome," says Haluk and Koji makes a noise of protest, but one look from my father silences him. "I understand that is a considerable distance from your residence, is this an acceptable location for me to take her or would you prefer that we stay within a certain distance?"

"No, it's acceptable," says Dad and I bit my lip to keep from laughing. When I told Haluk he needed to be respectful and professional when talking to my father about our date, I anticipated an exchange like this yet I did not expect it to be so amusing to watch. I look over at Ryuk and the _Shinigami_ is grinning like a madman as he watches the conversation between Dad and Haluk, apparently finding it more interesting than what Koji is watching on television.

"I'm glad my plan meets with your approval," says Haluk solemnly and he bows. "I also wish to discuss Nori's curfew, she mentioned that on weekends it is extended from ten o'clock to midnight, but if it's alright with you I would be more comfortable bringing her home by ten."

I can tell that was hardly the response Dad was expecting; he was probably thinking that Haluk would have attempted to extend my curfew. He is quick to recover from his shock and nods his agreement. "Thank you, Haluk," says Dad, fighting not to grin. "I appreciate your honesty in regards to this matter, and I can say with absolute certainty that you have my blessing to date my daughter." He extends his hand out and Haluk eagerly shakes it; their transaction now complete.

"Nori, come over here and meet your future husband!" calls Dad putting an arm around Haluk's shoulders.

"Marrying me off already, Dad?" I ask with a laugh as I walk over to them, smiling brightly at both Haluk and my father.

Dad nods. "Someone has to, and you have to admit, your options are limited given the fact you're such a handful." I balk and he laughs, further embarrassing Haluk and myself to the point we are ready to get out of the house.

"I think now's a great time to leave," I say and I take Haluk's hand firmly in my own, practically dragging him to the door before my father can humiliate me further. "You know, before the priest and guests come out of the closet."

Haluk says nothing though I can tell he is just as humiliated as I am and as eager to leave my father's company. I feel someone put a hand on my shoulder, glancing over I see it belongs to my father.

"Nori, you know I was just teasing you," he says apologetically and I stop pulling Haluk out of the door. "Listen, I'm very happy you're going out with Haluk, honestly I am. I just have to have a little fun with you because as your father, it's my right. Now, go out and have some fun, Koji and I will still be here to embarrass you when you get home."

"What I cheerful thought," I mumble sarcastically as I release Haluk and hug my father good bye. I smile at him genuinely before I run after Haluk, waving at him one last time as I get into the car, knowing he will be watching me from the door until we leave. Haluk gets in and starts the car, we smile at each other and I glance in the rearview mirror, noticing that Ryuk is already sitting in the back. The _Shinigami_ winks at me as we pull away from the house.

* * *

I watch them drive off, unable to keep tears from forming in my eyes as I think about how grown up Noriko now is, and how soon everything will change for her. She will be her own woman soon, going to university and having romantic relationships as she prepares to have a life where she is responsible for herself. The thought of her leaving both terrifies me and fills me with immense pride, knowing I am responsible for that bright young woman succeeding.

'_If her mother could see her now,'_ I think before shaking myself mentally. _'No, thoughts like that will only lead to trouble, you need to get ahold of yourself, Matsuda.'_

I close the door and turn to look at Koji, my only son and again I find myself smiling. In July my little boy will turn eleven and already he is a fine young man, much more levelheaded and stronger than I have ever been. I credit that to his mother, Raku has always been able to handle stressful situations with grace, not to mention she certainly knows what she believes in. I am sure that is why during her time as an active CIA agent she was so incredibly successful, even earning some much earned praise from Near or L as he is referred to now. Even after all this time, it is still strange to think of Near as L; I half expect to see Ryuzaki whenever I go to see Near at the skyscraper we use as Task Force headquarters, the one he built when we were still searching for Kira.

Just thinking about Light still ties my stomach in knots, knowing just how close he came to killing us all and winning scares me even now. If Mello had not done what he did, all of the Task Force and SPK would be in the ground, with Light dancing on our graves in celebration. I force my mind to return to the present, thinking about Light will only upset me more than I already am, and right now I have to keep a clear head.

"Koji, I'm going to do some work in my study, call if you need me," I say and Koji nods, his attention fully engrossed in the television program he is watching. I glance at it and cringe, more crap from Sakura TV, at least they are not doing anything Kira related anymore is about the only good thing I can say about that channel.

I head into my office and lock the door behind me, sighing heavily as I move to sit behind my desk. Slowly I pull out my cellphone and press for speed dial, scanning the names until I find the person I want to call and I press the button, listening to it ring as I wait for him to pick up.

"Aizawa," says Aizawa and I smile before answering.

"It's Matsuda," I say and I can almost hear his eye roll. "Nori just left for her date with Haluk, and I'm actually more emotional about it than I thought I'd be."

"How so?" he asks and I can tell it was a bad idea to mention that last part.

"Well, how did you feel when Yumi started dating?" I ask, grinning when I hear him sigh.

"Like I was losing my little girl and getting a young woman in her place," replies Aizawa fondly but when he speaks next, his voice is considerably rougher. "But that's not the case with you, Matsuda, you can't allow yourself to feel that way and you know why."

I frown I know he is right. "But Aizawa, I do feel that way, despite the circumstances and I was hoping for some advice from you about how to deal with this. None of the others have been through this with their daughters yet, please help me."

"Matsuda, you need to let this go," says Aizawa firmly. "You've allowed yourself to get too emotionally involved, which is exactly what Near said not to do, and I have half a mind to tell him. If what we think is happening is true, then it's only a matter of time for Noriko, and I don't want to see you get hurt when it happens."

"I know, I know," I sigh and I stare out of the window. "I do know where they're going so you can get Ide to follow them easily."

"The pre-date interview went well then?" asks Aizawa.

"Yeah, they're going to the amusement park near the Tokyo Dome," I say and I can hear Aizawa writing it down. "They're going to be there for a while, coming back by ten."

"Alright then, I'll send the information to Ide," says Aizawa, sounding for a moment like the Chief used to whenever he was performing an important task. "I'm surprised Haluk was able to give you the information so easily, he must've expected it."

I laugh, remembering the slightly terrified look on Haluk's face when he first entered the house. "I'm not sure he did, but I think Nori coached him on what to say, she was probably the one expecting an interview of sorts."

Aizawa is silent on the other end of the phone longer than I am comfortable with. "She did, huh?" he says at last and I know I screwed up.

"No, no, it's nothing like that," I say quickly, trying to dig myself out. "I've always been up front with Nori about the expectations if she were to ever go on a date, so it's likely she prepared Haluk before he came over. I doubt the conversation he and I had was totally scripted."

"As long as you're sure, Matsuda," says Aizawa though he hardly sounds convinced. "I should get off here and let Ide know, and I'm going to report what you said to Near regardless. He needs to know, though I'm sure he already has some clue if you told Raku about this date. You need to prepare yourself for what's to come, Matsuda, we've come too far to back out now."

"I know, Aizawa," I say softly, rubbing my eyes to keep the tears from falling. "Say hi to Raku for me when you call Near. See you Monday."

"See you then," says Aizawa and he hangs up. I put away my phone and lean back in my chair, looking out at my backyard as Aizawa's words sink in. I know what he is referring to and it makes me sick to think of it, knowing what we have done all of these years just so we could make sure someone like Kira did not happen again. Now it might have all been for nothing.

* * *

"Come on, Haluk, let's ride that one!" I say excitedly, pointing at the intimidating roller coaster. I feel Haluk's hand tense up as I drag him over to it, even for a roller coaster regular like him, this one might be too much.

"How about we don't and say we did?" he asks with a nervous chuckle and Ryuk cackles.

"He's been on nearly every ride in this park and this is the one that scares him?" comments the _Shinigami_. "Maybe I should just go ahead without you two, might be more fun that way if he's going to whine about it."

I have to keep from replying, knowing that even in this crowd Haluk would still hear me if I spoke openly to Ryuk. "Okay, Haluk," I say with a smile. "I've picked nearly every ride we've been on today, why don't you pick this last one? End on a high note, as they say."

Haluk smiles at me. "Alright, the Ferris wheel."

"Sounds like fun," I say happily and we start walking towards the large Ferris wheel near the center of the park. Overall this has been an incredible day, even Ryuk's commentary could not diminish anything we did or what was said, though we had spent most of the day screaming and laughing as we rode rides and played some games. True to my word, I did buy Ryuk a candy apple though I made sure to do so when no one was really watching me, including the Shinigami, I really did not want him trying to reach into my purse while we waited in line. That would not have gone over well at all. Today I saw a side to Haluk I had no idea existed, while he is normally reserved and quiet, during the course of the day he relaxed and laughed easily as if that is how he has always been. I would be flattering myself too much if I said I am the reason for this, but I do know he has not behaved this way with our other friends. He has been the perfect gentleman all day, from holding doors to helping me into the rides, and he even won me a stuffed panda bear, which he is currently holding for me. Yes, this first date is a success.

"Keep your hands and feet inside at all times," says the bored attendant as he opens the gate to the basket. Haluk helps me inside and then slides in beside me, putting the panda bear in the empty seat as he casually drapes his arm across my shoulders. The level of intimacy between us has also increased, not that I am complaining.

"So, any ideas on how I can top this for our second date?" he asks with a cheeky grin and Ryuk makes a gagging sound which I ignore.

"Scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef?" I suggest with a laugh and he rolls his eyes playfully.

"Maybe for Valentine's Day," he says as the ride starts moving and unconsciously I lean into him more, the sudden movement startling me. "Don't worry, Nori, we aren't going to fall off or anything."

"Well, not without writing in the Death Note," chuckles Ryuk as he stretches out on the seats across from us. "Hey, that's not a bad way to get rid of someone, pleasure and pain all in one."

'_I guess that would be considered entertaining for you, Ryuk,'_ I muse as I watch Tokyo come into view, even with our limited range I am still left breathless at the sight of the city lit up. I doubt there is a more beautiful view in the entire world than this one.

I look away from the city and to Haluk who is giving me a very strange expression, equal parts desire and fear, I am about to ask him if something is wrong when he presses his lips gently against mine. His kiss is warm and unsure, at least until I start responding and as I move my lips gently he relaxes into me, wrapping his arms around my waist and shoulders. My head is spinning and I am unsure of what is going on around me as I melt into his embrace and our continued kiss. I ignore the fact Ryuk is watching us, that we are slowly coming into view of the other amusement park goers; I ignore everything else in the world except this, my first real kiss.


	6. Results

**A/N: I know, it's been a while but I hope this makes up for it! There is a POV change near the end of the chapter.**

* * *

I spend most of Sunday in a daze, elated by my first date and excited about the following day, knowing that will be when I learn whether or not the notebook will work. I am sure my father noticed the change in my demeanor the closer Monday drew but I could tell he attributes that to my new romantic relationship. He has not stopped asking questions about my date since I arrived home the previous night, only taking a break when he has to eat. Ordinarily he will discuss something like this with me for a few minutes then move on, yet with this he has not let it go, instead he keeps pestering me even when I ask him to leave me alone to study. I know he is up to something, I am just not sure what.

"So Nori—" starts Dad only to have Koji interrupt him.

"Dad, stop interrogating Nori about Haluk, it stopped being fun this morning," groans Koji and my father looks slightly offended. "I want to know when Mom's coming home, she's been gone for days now."

Dad swallows hard before he answers; while I find this suspicious I am just as curious as Koji to find out when Mom would be coming home, so I say nothing.

"She'll be home when she gets home," he lies though not as smoothly as before, I can hear the hitch in his voice and see him wrinkle his nose. "You kids aren't tired of me yet, are you?"

"No," says Koji with a defeated sigh. "I just want Mom home, nothing feels like it should whenever she leaves. Why did she have to go alone, why couldn't we have gone with her? You're a detective, Dad, you could've been of some help to her."

"While you might be right, that's just not how our jobs work," replies Dad calmly. "Your mother's been trained to handle international crises whereas I have been trained to deal with cases on a more local level. As much as I'd rather be with your mother, I know my place is here in Japan and hers is in America until she completes her tour of duty."

"Next time, I'm going with her," grumbles Koji as he pushes away his bowl of half finished _oyakodon_. It appears our mother's absence is having an effect on his normally healthy appetite, just like it seems to be having some input on my father's calm demeanor.

"Nori, I think it's about time you and Koji went to bed," says Dad, glancing at the clock on the wall. The hour is barely nine but I know better than to argue with him when he's so visibly tired and ready to head to bed himself, so I quietly put my bowl in the sink and head upstairs to my room. I swipe an apple from the fruit bowl before leaving.

* * *

"Hey Nori, how's it going?" asks Ryuk when I enter my room and close the door.

He sees the apple in my hand and instantly starts salivating, so I toss it to him before he can make any vocal commands, then sit down at my desk and turn on my computer. I am not sure what to search for, having already exhausted all of the possible links that discussed L or Kira, so I check my email. I see one from Sanne that says 'My role model' in the subject heading so I click on it.

_Nori!_

_This is the woman I want to be like someday! She's so sweet and pretty, so tragic that she committed suicide before I got the chance to meet her!_

_Love ya!_

_San-San_

I roll my eyes and click on the link she included in her email, thinking it would be some movie star or singer, but when the page opens I feel my eyes go wide and a strange tingling goes down my spine. The woman Sanne admires is Misa Amane! Of all the people Sanne could have picked to aspire to be, she had to pick the woman who was accused of being the Second Kira!

"What are you looking at?" asks Koji from behind me and I nearly jump out of my seat.

"God, Koji, you should knock next time!" I snap then immediately regret my tone when I see his face. "Sorry, you just scared me. Why aren't you in bed?"

"I can't sleep," he sighs and comes to stand beside me. "I keep thinking about Mom, and how much I miss her." I look at him and see he is dressed in his flaming skulls pajamas but he hardly looks tired, he certainly appears more morose than anything else, and I wrap my arms around him.

"You know she misses you, right?" I ask, trying to keep my tone sympathetic. "I bet she can't sleep either from being without her Koji-bear."

Koji scowls at me but he does not dispute my words, he just hates it when someone other than Mom uses her nickname for him. "But if she misses me, why hasn't she called?" he asks in a slightly whiny tone.

"She must be out in the field," I surmise, wondering if I am trying to comfort him or myself; it is very unlike our mother to go so long without calling us to let us know how she is doing or at the very least when she is coming home. "I'm sure she'll call us the minute she's back at her office."

"Yeah, you might be right," he concedes then he looks at my computer screen. "Who's that?"

I glance back at the image of Misa Amane kissing a strawberry and fight down the bile that had risen in my throat. "Her name's Misa Amane, apparently Sanne wanted to show me her latest role model."

"She's pretty," says Koji with a slight lilt in his voice, and then he looks at me then back at the screen. He repeats this pattern several times before he finally says, "You look like her."

"Are you kidding, she's way prettier than me," I say with a slight laugh. "Thanks for saying so, though."

Koji does not immediately respond to my words, instead he continues to stare at the picture of Misa Amane then glance at me. "Is she still alive?" he asks and I find that a peculiar question to ask but I humor him.

"No, according to Sanne she committed suicide a number of years ago," I reply and Koji nods gently. "Why? Are you going to ask her to marry you someday?"

"No, I was just thinking about something Dad told me after you left for your date," he says with a slight shrug. "He said he wasn't sure you were actually his daughter since you look so much like a model. I was thinking this was the model he was talking about, I mean, you look a lot like her."

Now I am getting creeped out, though I should probably not bring this to his attention. "Koji, I think you're just reading too much into what Dad was saying, I think you should head back to bed before we both get in trouble for being up."

"Okay," says Koji and he kisses my cheek, something he has not done in years. "Night, Nori, I love you."

"Love you too," I say as I squeeze him tightly before letting him go. I feel a strange kind of emptiness when he leaves my embrace, and I am not sure why or what it means.

Ryuk cackles beside me and I almost fall out of my seat again. "Whoa, that is one strange kid," he says with an evil grin. "I didn't even hear him come in, I had to swallow that apple pretty quickly."

"Thanks for doing that," I say softly as I turn back to my computer and stare at the cheery face of Misa Amane. I begin searching for other images of her and come up with a barrage of images ranging from cute to sexy. I can see why Koji would say we look alike; we have similar eye color though my eyes are darker than hers, our bodies are similar in shape though I'm taller and slightly curvier, and we have the same nose and mouth. The more similarities I see the more differences as well, not just between her and myself but also between my parents and I. Despite the fact they are my parents, I have yet to note many physical similarities between us, most of my observations I feel I sometimes make up just to believe there is something the same. Both of my parents have dark hair and dark eyes, they are both shorter than I am by nearly eight inches, and physically my mother's body is athletic whereas I look have an hour-glass figure.

"Ryuk, did you know Misa Amane?" I ask after closing one of the pages detailing Misa's career in the movies. I knew she had been accused of being the Second Kira, thanks to my father's journal, and there was the picture of her hanging onto Light Yagami so it would not be a far leap to think Ryuk knew her.

"Yeah," says Ryuk quietly. "She and Light were, what's the word? Involved? Hooked up? I don't know, anyway, they were Kira together at one point in time after she introduced herself as the Second Kira."

I smirk as I scroll through more photographs of the woman who was the Second Kira after all. "Based on my research, she was never convicted," I say as I click on an article that seemed to be about her suicide. "Damn, she must've really wanted to die if she leapt from a building," I mutter as I scan the article for additional details. "It says she left a note behind explaining that she did not want to live anymore without the love of her life, so she decided to join him in death."

'_As much as I care for him, there's no way I'd commit suicide if Haluk died,'_ I think to myself while continuing to read the article.

"That was Misa for you," sighs Ryuk, who is now floating in a slow circle. "She loved Light so much it was almost disgustingly sweet, and when Matsuda told her that Light was dead, she looked . . . broken."

This is news to me. "Wait, my father told Misa that Light had been killed?" I ask, turning my seat to face the _Shinigami_. "Hold on, how do you even know any of this?"

Ryuk smiles at me, his blue lips pull back to reveal his sharp teeth. "Do you remember when we first met I told you I'm more of a spectator than a participant? Well, after I killed Light, I stuck around for a few days to see how everything would play out since I hate leaving things unfinished. Anyway, I followed Matsuda and the others from the Task Force around; I watched them execute that other criminal claiming he was Kira, saw them inform Light's mother and sister about his death, and watched Matsuda slip up and tell Misa about him too. Apparently, that hadn't been part of the plan. I left this world after they found Misa's corpse, satisfied that everything was done."

"You killed Light Yagami?" I ask, my voice trembling with fear I had not felt before. "Does that mean you're going to kill me too?"

"Someday I suppose," replies Ryuk with a shrug. "He was going to die anyway, so I thought it would be best to painlessly end his life myself, and I wrote his name in my notebook. That is the unwritten agreement between a _Shinigami_ and the first person to pick up and use a Death Note; so at some point, it will fall to me to write your name in my book as well."

"I see," I say grimly, torn between feeling tricked and slightly relieved. "At least if I die, I'll know where it's coming from, I guess that's comforting in a way. Just out of curiosity, why was he going to die anyway?"

Ryuk starts to laugh, and I feel something like apprehension grip my body, perhaps this had not been the best idea I had ever had.

"Your father shot him five times," he says between chuckles. "Light made the mistake of calling his father a fool in front of Matsuda, and he was so upset that he shot Light almost to death. I'm sure if I had done nothing, Light would have died regardless."

I swallow hard though I find it difficult; knowing that my father killed the original Kira concerns me greatly, especially since I have consciously decided to become the next Kira. I wonder from whom my death will come: Ryuk or my own father?

"Look, I didn't tell you all of that just to have you have a mental breakdown," says Ryuk cautiously when he realizes I have yet to speak. "You asked me so I told you."

"I know," I say quietly and I smile up at the _Shinigami_. "And I appreciate you telling me, regardless of whether it was good or bad. I think I'll be turning in now, Ryuk, perhaps you should go to the attic?" When he first arrived I had suggested to Ryuk that he go and amuse himself in the attic while I was sleeping, so he did not have to just sit on the ceiling and watch me sleep. So far, the arrangement has worked out.

"Okay then," he says indifferently. "See you in the morning." He then phases through the ceiling and into the attic.

I release the breath I have been holding and start going through the motions of getting ready for bed and for school the next day. Everything Ryuk has told me tonight is both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time, yet I am not sure how I should process all of the information. It seems just when I am finally getting a grip on how life works with a Death Note, I am thrown something else to try and juggle along with the rest. I climb into bed and comfort myself with the thought that if the Death Note does not work on my targets these upcoming days, I will simply give up ownership and continue on with my life as if nothing had changed. Only now everything has.

* * *

I rise early the next morning and leave for school before my father can start another round of interrogations; though if he does try again I am sure I will be unable to keep from asking him a few questions of my own. I decide to kill the extra time I have by stopping by a coffee shop and purchasing a drink and newspaper to enjoy and peruse while I wait for an appropriate time to start walking to school. I sip on the drink as I scan the headlines, looking for any indication that my commands in the Death Note have come true, but so far they have not. The only article of any interest is that the police finally managed to arrest a serial rapist that had been terrorizing Shibuya for several weeks now.

'_Perhaps he should be Kira's next target,'_ I consider to myself before taking another sip of my tea. _'Maybe not, actually, I think I should focus solely on killing those whom are still at large and/or terrorizing society. Those in prison will not be targeted unless they are released and still causing trouble.'_

There are people around me, talking and going about their business as if I am not there at all, as if change were not about to hit the world yet again. They simply go about their lives, spectators to my creation of a safer world just like Ryuk, blissfully unaware of all that was going on behind closed doors. I feel a grin tugging at the corners of my mouth, I bring my tea to my lips and let it release itself around the rim of the cup; this smile feels differently, it feels almost superior and righteous. I have to admit, I like this feeling.

* * *

"Nori, wait up!" shouts Sanne as I walk past her house on my way to school. I stop in my tracks and turn around, giving her a false smile as I wait for her to catch up to my position, knowing she would just keep shouting at me until I did.

"Sorry, Sanne," I say, feigning sincerity since in all honesty I wanted to bypass her house before she left. "Guess I was in my own world again."

Sanne rolls her eyes as we start walking again, this time at a pace she can keep up with. "That seems to be happening a lot to you lately, is Haluk on your mind? I heard you two finally went on a date," she says with a smile that does not quite reach her eyes, and I can hear the false enthusiasm. She thinks she can hide her true emotions from me, but she has never been able to, not even now; but I can.

"Actually, yeah, he has been," I say with a slight giggle. "Oh Sanne, our date was incredible! We went to the amusement park near the Dome and rode almost every ride there, and he won me a stuffed panda bear."

"Sounds like something straight out of the movies," says Sanne with a nervous chuckle. "How did it end, with a kiss on the Ferris Wheel?" She laughs and I know she does not actually want to hear the answer to that question.

I smile triumphantly and give her a bashful look. "Well, it kind of did." I watch a look of hurt and jealously flash across her face, and it takes everything I have in me not to call her out, amazingly enough I do refrain.

"That's great, Nori," she says, lying through her teeth. "I would've called you this weekend but I had a couple of dates of my own and let's just say one of them ended with a little more than just a simple kiss."

"Oh, and who was he?" I ask, practically biting the inside of my cheek to stop myself from laughing at her clumsy attempt at making herself superior to me. "Come on, after saying something like that, you have to tell me his name."

"His name's Akihiro," she says arrogantly before adding, "and he certainly lived up to the meaning of large glory."

We both start to laugh, though we are not laughing like girls would do in this kind of situation; she is laughing because she thinks she is clever and I am laughing because she is ridiculous. The laughter is a lie we both share.

* * *

My first class of the day is philosophy and is one of my favorites, arguing hypotheticals is always entertaining and a relaxing change of pace to discussing facts. I sit at my typical desk near the back of the room, close to the window and glance at the clock; it is almost eight o'clock, the time I specified that the child molester would be killed at. Mentally I make a note to myself to check the news later on today to find out if it actually happened.

Our teacher Mr. Tanaka enters the room with his laptop tucked underneath his arm; this is unusual since he ordinarily will just teach from our text then formulates a slightly impromptu debate. I watch with mixed fascination as Mr. Irie walks in behind him, his hazel eyes sweeping the room before briefly settling on me and I feel as if he is trying to pry my secrets from me without saying a single word. I frown at him and he turns away, though not before he smirks.

"Good morning, class," says Mr. Tanaka as he begins hooking up his laptop to the projector. "Today is going to be a bit out of the proverbial box; since we have been studying the philosophy behind some of the laws in place in our society, Mr. Irie suggested that it would be a good idea to watch an example of our laws at work. We're going to watch one of America's criminals be released on parole and then discuss the laws behind this decision and the rules of philosophy that influenced them. While no longer practicing, Mr. Irie is an attorney and very familiar with such laws so he will be helping with our discussion. Afterwards we will have a debate, with half of you debating why it was a good idea for the American justice system to parole the man and the other half will debate the cons. Any questions?"

"What was the man in prison for in the first place?" calls out a small but strong voice, and I know without looking it is Parisa.

"Child molestation and pedophilia," replies Mr, Tanaka and my heart races. "Alright, if there are no more questions, the news coverage is about to start." He then turns on the projector and we instantly see the live news feed, the cameras are all focused on the doors of the courthouse.

There are a number of people shouting their anger about the convict being released back into the general public, and the reporter is trying to be heard over it all but I am not really focusing on what is being said. Instead my eyes are fixed solely on the door, waiting for the moment when he steps through them and is then killed. If I had known this would happen, I would have written for something more dramatic to happen to him.

"He's coming out of the courthouse now," says the reporter and my heart rate quickens.

The doors open and out walks the convict; he is a tall man though lanky, with a thin mustache and is almost bald on his head, he is wearing black rimmed glasses and his green eyes are soulless when he looks at the camera. He looks unintimidating but at the same time, incredibly disturbing. He is still wearing handcuffs and his orange prison jumpsuit but he is smiling and waving at the crowd of people as he is being led to away by several police officers. For just a moment, I think nothing is going to happen to him.

"Die you bastard!" someone in the crowd shouts and then suddenly a person runs up and stabs the wooden end of a protest poster through his eye.

Everyone starts screaming in horror both on the feed and in the classroom as the convict collapses and police rush to keep everyone safe. The camera focuses in on the now dead convict, to poster sticking upright with its base firmly lodged in his head; it is a gruesome and horrifying sight but oddly fitting for him. The poster used to kill the man read 'Justice for the Victims' and I could not have agreed more.

"Oh my god!" scream several of my classmates, their shrieks of pure terror having died down somewhat, and many were holding each other as if worried they were going to die next. Mr. Tanaka is desperately trying to calm down some of the more frantic students, while Mr. Irie attempts to restore order but neither has turned off the news feed and my eyes are glued to the screen when the paramedics announce to the world he is dead. The man is dead because of me.

Something washes over me, bathing me in a warmth and darkness I have never felt before, and it separates me from the rest of the people around me. By definition I have murdered someone, guilty or not he is dead because of my direct actions against him; his life cut short and gone forever and I am responsible. Nausea mixes with something else and I cover my mouth, running straight from my desk though I am not sure when I had stood up, and I head for the only door. In the back of my mind I am aware that some might find my reaction strange but a majority will find it appropriate, simply believing that the sight of a man being murdered caused me to be ill. I head straight for the nearest restroom, slightly concerned that I will be sick before I reach my destination.

* * *

I close the restroom door behind me and lock it, not wanting anyone to enter while I am inside and I simply stand there clutching the door handle, breathing heavily as I try to calm myself down. _'I killed a man,'_ I realize as the events playback in my mind. _'It might have been with the notebook, but I still killed him. He's dead because of me and everyone saw! I'm probably going to be arrested! No, they only saw his death; they don't know it's me. That's right, they don't know it was me, so they can't arrest me not without the notebook as evidence. I'm safe.'_

"Nori, what the hell was that?" asks Ryuk as he phases through the wall beside me and I jump then scowl when I realize he is with me again. "I've never seen so many humans that scared all at once, honestly it was pretty interesting, but still freaky."

I do not answer him and let go of the door handle then turn to rest my back against the cool metal door, letting its icy touch melt against my burning skin as I try to reestablish my breathing. Another wave of nausea washes over me and I clap a hand over my mouth, thinking for a moment I will have the bitter taste of bile in my throat but instead I start to laugh. It is soft at first, but the more I realize that I have just won a huge victory causes me to laugh harder and louder, though my hand muffles most of the sound. _'I did it!' _I think joyfully. _'I bypassed the ICPO and the third L, I can be Kira at last!'_

After what seems like hours, I finally calm down and remove my hand from my face, somehow managing not to smile when I do and something red catches my eye so I glance down at my hand. There is red lipstick smeared across my palm and I quickly glance at the mirror to my left, seeing that the lipstick has spread outside of my lips. I look down again at the red on my hand and grin wickedly, realizing the irony. I walk over to the nearest sink and start the water, methodically washing my hands until there is no trace of the lipstick from before then I grab a paper towel and wet it. I run it gingerly over my mouth, taking my time to clean my mess up, relishing in the way that it cleans up so easily. _'Water cleanses all,'_ I muse as I dry my face. _'Even those dripping in blood, water can purify.'_

* * *

"There's no way that was an accident, right?!" I hear Matsuda exclaim through the microphone. "I mean, it has to be him, it has to be Kira or at least someone claiming to be him."

Aizawa's voice is next, I can hear the annoyance and frustration clearly when he speaks. "We have no way of confirming whether or not what the protestor did was caused by the influence of a notebook, for all we know he might have done it of his own volition. Still, it is an odd coincidence given all of the extra security."

"Yes but his release had been highly publicized before today, anyone with a computer could have figured it out and acted accordingly," says Mogi calmly, clearly the only one who can keep himself collected. "What I want to know is whether or not our security measures failed."

Raku comes up beside me, her arms crossed and lips pressed in a thin line; I can tell she is thinking critically about this morning's murder and its circumstances, she has never been one to come right out and discuss what she is thinking. I like that most about her.

"We can't test that for sure," she says, speaking in the microphone on our end. "Not without the notebook to see when his death was scheduled and even then it would not be definitive evidence. And in all honesty, we can't start blaming Kira until we are absolutely sure the man did not act of his own free will. Near and I will investigate that on our end, what we need you to do is continue with your surveillance and monitoring of the subject."

I stack three dice on top of a building of tarot cards. "I agree with Raku, especially now when it appears our old foe has resurfaced after all this time. He might to try to get in contact with the subject, and that is a meeting we cannot allow."

"This is ludicrous!" cries Matsuda and without looking I know he is standing incredibly close to the monitor. "I don't care what you think, Near, Light's dead and has been for almost two decades! You need to let him go, there's no way in hell he's the one responsible for all of the murders that have happened since his death."

"Raku, please bid your husband farewell then close the channel," I say blandly, and Raku does as I ask. While she appears to be the perfect agent, I know she resents her current assignment and is merely going through the motions, more or less humoring me for the sake of peace and progress. Her dedication though has always been above and beyond what I have asked, and because of that I made her my second-in-command at the SPK. Then I gave her this mission.

When I first approached her with the mission she balked and said she would never do such a thing not even if she were paid, but after a while she accepted it though grudgingly. Raku knew what had to be sacrificed in order to protect the world from another Kira, which is why I gave the assignment to her in the first place.

"So you still think he's alive somewhere, huh?" she asks as she sits in the chair behind me; she sounds tired and rightfully so, she has been working on barely four hours of sleep the last week while updating several files regarding the subject.

"A body was never recovered, so yes, I do," I say as I begin to build a dice pyramid on my tarot card building's roof. "Criminals are still being killed with heart attacks, though the MO has changed slightly, those being killed are being incarcerated for life-sentences or are waiting on death row. Hardened criminals yes, but hardly menaces to society."

"But if I remember correctly, Kira killed a variety of criminals both inside and outside prisons and jails," argues Raku and I am impressed by her recollection. "What makes their deaths so different to you from those before?"

I consider answering her question directly, but that would require tipping my hand to knowing less than I actually do, and as L I must not let my investigators know how much or how little I have figured out. Instead I shrug to her and change the subject. "Raku how is your family?" I ask as I adjust a few dice so the single dots are facing me. "I imagine they miss you terribly."

"I haven't spoken to them since my arrival," she admits quietly and I turn around on my feet to face her. Her dark blue eyes are clouded over with tears and regret, and her black hair frames her face like a thick curtain.

"You should call them tonight," I say softly before turning back around to face my tower. "Now, please read me the notes Lidner gathered regarding the case in Switzerland."

"Of course, Near," says Raku, whatever emotions she was feeling were pushed to the side now. "Do you wish for me to get you something to eat first? There is quite a bit of information here, and you haven't eaten in several hours."

'_Always a mother,'_ I think amused. "Yes, thank you, Raku," I say and she leaves the control room for the kitchen located a few floors below. When she is gone, I take the opportunity to turn on one of the computers and access the files on Light Yagami, the first Kira. Logically I know he is dead, I had watched Matsuda shoot him exactly five times and hit major arteries, but it still bothers me that we never recovered a body; all we found were blood covered stairs in a warehouse. _'Perhaps the Shinigami claimed his body before we arrived,'_ I muse as I switch files to a more recent one concerning Raku. I have her personnel file memorized as well as the one containing information the CIA does not have on record; for instance the fact that her older brother was Raye Penber and that her requested leave had been used to try and track down his killer as well as his fiancée's. When she learned their killer was dead, she actually smiled, and I knew her sense of justice mirrored my own.

"I brought you some tea and treats," Raku says as she enters with a cart full of food, all freshly made by the private chef she hired for me. "Renaldo is requesting an increase in his weekly budget, he claims you having him make such grand meals everyday is costing more than you've allotted."

"I believe him," I say as I click back over to Light Yagami's file. "Tell him his request is accepted and write down a number between three and five thousand, that will be his new budget."

"Yes, sir," says Raku as she pours two cups of tea. "Are you already reviewing the Switzerland files?" She places a cup beside me then moves to sit down a few chairs away, sipping on her tea daintily.

I shake my head, causing several pieces of my white blonde hair to fall in my face, which I brush away only to have more fall. I frown and look in the monitor screen, able to see my reflection more or less; I can see the now ever present dark circles underneath my light-grey eyes, both look even darker against my pale skin. Over the last two decades I have hardly changed in appearance, despite the obvious changes such as growth and maturing features. I am still the thirteen-year-old boy who became L's successor, despite what the calendar says.

"Please read over Lidner's notes, Raku," I say as I close out of the other files but not before looking one last time at Light Yagami's file photo. For a moment I am envious of him, he will forever be twenty-three and remembered as a youthful young man, but to those who knew him best he will always be Kira. That of which I am not jealous.

"There were four more reported deaths, all appear to be heart attacks," says Raku and I listen with somewhat rapt attention. "Lidner is going to look into any possible connections the victims had to each other—"

"Tell her not to bother," I interrupt, clenching my teeth. "I've already looked at the victims and their backgrounds; they all were employees to the same family and were supposedly all having an affair with the patriarch. The wife likely killed them but not with a Death Note, tell Lidner to have the toxicologist run a test to detect potassium chloride; the wife was a renowned chemist."

"Of course," sighs Raku as she starts writing a note in the file. "Should I even bother with the case in Brazil?"

"No," I say dejectedly as I slip down from my seat and down to the floor. "The criminals being killed there are from assassinations, not the power of the Death Note though the were certainly fabricated to appear as Kira's doing. Tell Commander Rester to look into the possibility of a vigilante group and to arrest them on sight."

"Alright then," she says and again writes something in one of the files. "You should know we have just received a formal request from the Japanese Task Force and ICPO to investigate the Kira cult. From what Aizawa said, they are becoming more active and vocally outspoken against those who choose to defy Kira even though he's dead; do you want to look into this or would you rather let them handle it?"

I reach up and twist a section of hair between my index and thumb, thinking about whether or not I should accept this invitation. While not actually under Kira's direct influence, this cult has been growing and inducting members, behaving as if they were actually receiving messages from Kira and working towards a new world order. They have invaded several top positions though we cannot prove it outright, and while they have been present they do not normally engage directly with society. Something must have changed that. I smile slightly, wondering if after all this time, Light Yagami's been hiding in plain sight.

"Inform the Task Force that we will be coming to Japan within the week," I say and I see the tension lift from Raku's shoulders. "Also, you're going to travel to the ICPO's headquarters as Watari and inform them of my accepting the request, though I am not sure whether I will address the delegates directly. Please inform all of our agents of the move and recall all top agents from the field immediately, but make sure to assign replacements. Just because I'm gone doesn't mean our other cases should come to a stand still."

"Is there anything else?" asks Raku, now standing up. "Or should I go ready the jet?"

"Yes, please start on preparing for departure," I say now looking up at her as she starts to walk away. "And Raku, don't tell Matsuda when we're coming, I want to see the look on his face."

Raku smiles at me before walking towards the elevator, a slight spring in her step that had not been there earlier. I know she is looking forward to returning to her family in Japan even if she would rather be living here in New York with them and I myself am curious to see if the country has changed much in my absence. Usually I fly in once a year to pay my respects to the original L and Watari, not stopping for much longer than a day before departing for another destination. This will be the first time in several years I have been in Japan on business and I look forward to it.

I pull out a file from a secret compartment under one of the tables, a file I deliberately left out of the system, and I glance at the header grinning at my clever title. _'I'm one step closer,'_ I think as I tuck the file into my shirt. Yes, being back in Japan should prove productive.


	7. Changes

The moment I have been preparing for has finally arrived, and I cannot be more ecstatic to be able to take my entrance exams. These last few weeks of preparation have been productive and despite the minor drama involving Sanne, I believe that the exams will go in my favor, and if I am right so will everything else. These thoughts keep me calm as I ride the train to the designated testing hall, and without really looking I can tell that a majority of the passengers with me are also students. Some have note cards out, flipping through them as they quiz themselves or the person beside them; others are discussing possible exam questions and what they plan on doing once this day is finished. I keep my head down, a small smile on my face, I already know what I am going to do once this day is finished and it has nothing to do with packing for university.

The train comes to a stop at the station and while some people get up, I remain seated knowing that my designated stop is still four stops away, though I do look up to see who is coming on. Initially it is just a blur of unfamiliar faces, at least until I see a girl with silver glasses and pink hair.

"Pari!" I call out over the rustle of passengers moving. I lift my hand in the air and signal to her, and she sees me almost immediately, she comes over and sits beside me before the doors close and the train departs. She seems perfectly relaxed unlike most of the new passengers, whom are also students, and she smiles at me.

"I thought I might catch you today, Nori," she says pleasantly as she straightens out the pleats on her skirt. "Though I thought it would be when we were going into the exam room, I didn't think you liked to wait around for tests."

I shrug casually then lean against my hard seat. "Ordinarily I don't but my father was making such a big deal about the test and my future that I left the house to get a little peace and quiet. Thankfully by the time we get there, I'll only have to wait maybe ten minutes before the test starts, which is tolerable."

Parisa chuckles softly. "You're always so direct, Nori, you rarely leave a question unanswered even if it hasn't been asked."

"Thank you, Pari," I say politely. "So do you know whether or not Sanne's going to ever speak to me again?"

"Oh, she probably will in time for the party this weekend," replies Parisa with a slight frown. While we were all friends, Parisa can hardly stand Sanne and despises the fact that Sanne will often go to her in times of crises and expect her to be like me and pretend to actually care about her problems. Parisa often tells her that behaving like an adult instead of an emotional child will solve a majority of her problems; when Sanne is concerned, Parisa usually becomes far more readable than normal and can lash out on occasion.

"I still find it ridiculous that she's accusing me of stealing Haluk from her," I sigh as I adjust my satchel so it is sitting more comfortably on my lap. "She didn't show any interest in him for all of these years until suddenly when he and I start dating, she declares she's loved him since we were children and that I knew that and stole him out of spite."

"I'm sure she has been infatuated with him since we first met as kids," says Parisa calmly and I am surprised to hear her say such a thing. "The fact she is expressing her interest now stems from the fact she assumed you would never be interested in Haluk so she did not see any rush to claim him. When you and he started going out, she knew she had to do something, so she chose to act impulsively rather than logically. I'm sure she was hoping for something other than blank stares at her declaration of love."

I try not to laugh as I think back to the night Sanne told Haluk that she loves him.

* * *

_'You need to remember next time to completely eliminate like terms before proceeding,' I said, showing Haluk his mistake on one of his practice problems. 'This is the fifth time you've done this, Haluk, and if you plan on doing well on the exams you'll have to fix that problem.'_

_ Haluk groaned as he erased three of his seven steps. 'I don't know what's wrong with me, Nori, I hardly made these mistakes before and now I'm making them all the time.'_

_ I smiled at him as I put a hand over his. 'There's nothing wrong with you, you're probably just tired, we have been at this for six hours now with only a few breaks. Maybe we should move onto something else for the moment.'_

_ 'I don't think Haluk's doing anything wrong,' said Sanne from across the table, her grey eyes narrowed at us. She put down her history book and looked directly at us. 'I think it's Nori who's making Haluk screw up, after all he was perfectly fine until she seduced him.'_

_ To say her statement appalled me was an understatement, but I had a feeling this was coming from some deep-rooted jealousy. 'Sanne, our relationship has nothing to do with Haluk's trigonometry problems,' I said calmly, trying to keep the situation from boiling over. 'He's just tired, like we all are, and we could probably use a break.'_

_ Sanne ignored my suggestion and barreled on ahead. 'I think what Haluk needs is a woman who won't cause him to screw up so much,' she sneered. 'Nori's too nit-picky and isn't satisfied with anything except perfection, so how could a lowly human like Haluk possibly measure up to her impossible standards?'_

_ 'What's gotten into you, Sanne?' asked Haluk, apparently confused by her sudden outburst. 'Nori's been your best friend since we were kids, you should know better than to insult her like that.'_

_ I placed my hand on his forearm and smiled at him. 'It's perfectly all right, Haluk, you shouldn't get yourself so worked up over Sanne's behavior. She obviously has a problem with you and I being together, so I'd be more than happy to hear her out.' I had a suspicion that this was going to become something more than just simple jealousy._

_ 'Fine,' said Sanne, standing up so everyone could see her properly, despite the fact we were at a small table. 'Since you're interested, I'll be more than happy to tell you that I'm in love with you, Haluk. I've wanted to be with you since we met and I thought you and I would be together! But no, you were seduced and duped by Noriko, and now I have to sit and watch as she breaks apart the only man I've ever loved!'_

_ Her declaration and performance was reminiscent of Misa Amane's silly love story about a fallen angel that fell in love with a human man. I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing out loud, I never thought she would actually act this stupid._

_ No one said anything, not even Haluk, and instead of staying Sanne decided all by herself that the proper course of action would be for her to leave so she collected her belongings and left the library but not before a parting shot at me. 'Slut!' she shouted before slamming the door._

* * *

"What a memorable day," I say with a small chuckle and Parisa nods.

"I have to say, I'm surprised she left so quickly," she says as we stand up, our stop now in view. "Usually Sanne makes a bigger scene than that just to have more attention on her."

I shrug as we disembark from the train. "I guess she was embarrassed when the scene didn't play out like she wanted and Haluk didn't break up with me then and there to be with her instead."

"I think they deserve each other," says Parisa, which surprises me, ordinarily she does not say anything even remarkably bitter about Haluk.

"What, are you saying Sanne's better than me?" I ask with a laugh, trying to play off my suspicions while we walk into the train station.

Parisa looks up at me with wide eyes and a small frown. "On the contrary, I think you're better than Haluk and should find someone else that meets your standards. You shouldn't settle on Haluk just because you feel obligated."

Now this intrigues me, Parisa hardly ever speaks out against our friends unless she is pushed to the point. "Pari, is something bothering you?" I ask, slightly wary of her now.

"No, I just want you to know that I will be loyal to you no matter what," she says cryptically and I decide not to pry any further, she is definitely up to something if she is acting this out of character.

We walk in silence and when we pass a large screen television, I see the news reporting on ten more deaths of criminals; it is difficult to suppress the smile that is threatening to break out across my face. Already they are suspecting that Kira has returned, but from the articles I have read, this is merely speculation as many have pointed out the differences between these new killings and the old. Still, perpetuating the legacy of Kira is thrilling in its own right, and I wonder how Light was able to handle constantly hearing about his actions without being able to take credit for them; it probably drove him mad.

Parisa stops and looks at the screen, her eyes fixed on the mug shots of the latest people I have killed, she seems almost relieved that they are gone though I am not sure why. She opens her mouth and though she whispers it, I hear it as plainly as if she had spoken it for all to hear. "Our savior returns."

* * *

The hallway outside the examination hall is filled to the brim with talking students, their voices joined together in a loud roar that deafens everyone, though I pay them no mind as my thoughts take me elsewhere. I play Parisa's words over and over again in my head, wondering if there is someway that I misheard her or made it up out of my desire to have my actions recognized. Sadly, no matter how many different ways I analyze the situation, I still reach the same conclusion: Parisa worships Kira. I chance a glance at her, hoping not to draw too much attention to myself as I do, and I wonder how I missed such a critical detail about her. In all the of the years that we have known each other, I never once suspected that she might be a member of the Kira cult, this contradicts everything I know about her. Then again, this might actually be a good thing; she obviously has the capabilities of keeping important aspects hidden and she did say she would be loyal to me no matter what. Perhaps . . .

_'No,'_ I chide myself, shaking my head to clear my thoughts. _'There's no way that was what she meant, besides she doesn't even know that I'm the new Kira, so it wasn't like she was swearing her undying loyalty to her god. She probably meant that if things go bad with Sanne, she'd remain my friend instead of Sanne's. That has to be what she meant.'_

The doors to the exam hall open and immediately there is a flood of students pouring in like there was a murderer after them, all hoping to make it to their seats before the exam officially started in two minutes. I file in with the stragglers, not really concerned about whether I take the exam on time or not, and when I do find my seat I pick up the pencil given and spin it in a circle around my thumb. I am still thinking about what Parisa said when I hear the proctor announce that we can begin our exam. Around me I hear papers fluttering and pencils scratching, and I look down at the packet in front of me, casually I open it and look at some of the problems, noting how similar they are to the practice test problems.

_'Are they even trying anymore?'_ I wonder as I open the packet to the end of the exam and start on the last question. I am not sure why, but I find it better to start at the end of the exam rather than at the beginning, so I begin answering the question at the top of the page.

When I am about halfway through the question, I feel the hair on the back of my neck prickle and I suddenly get the feeling that someone is watching me. For a split second I think it is Ryuk, though I know it could not be, he is at my house playing on one of Koji's old handhelds that I gave him to keep him occupied today. The last thing I wanted was to have him hovering around distracting me when I had to concentrate.

No, this is definitely not Ryuk but who is it? Who could possibly be watching me from here and how are they doing it without getting caught by one of the proctors? This does not make any sense, but I push it from my mind, I can deal with this new problem after I finish my exam.

* * *

"Nori, hurry up or we're going to be late to the party at your uncle's!" shouts Dad from the stairs and I sigh as I put the Death Note back in its hiding place, only having written about four names tonight.

"On my way down!" I reply and I reach for my blue jean jacket, wondering if Sanne will actually be coming and whether she will talk to me. Tonight is the celebration of my graduation from high school and for completing the entrance exams for To-Oh University, and my "uncle" Shuichi Aizawa is hosting the party as his house. Dad said he accepted the offer from Uncle Aizawa since Mom is still out of the country and unable to plan one, and as he himself pointed out, he is terrible at planning a party.

"Ryuk, has anyone been following me lately?" I ask as I put a small piece of paper from the Death Note in my front jacket pocket.

The _Shinigami_ shakes his head from his position above my head. "Not that I could tell, and trust me I would know right away if someone were." He turns himself right side up and stands beside me. "What do you plan on doing with that?"

I shrug as I stand up from my desk. "I'm not sure, lately I've been carrying this piece around with me as a kind of security measure," I explain. "If I see someone following me who shouldn't be, I can use my Eyes to find out who they are and act accordingly. I already have a scenario written on paper, all I have to do is write the name down."

"Interesting," is all Ryuk says as I open the door and head downstairs. When I arrive, I see Koji and Dad standing by the door ready to leave, both with huge smiles on their faces.

"What?" I ask as Dad opens the door and we head to the car.

"Oh nothing," says Dad as he opens my door for me. "I'll tell you later."

"Don't worry, Nori," says Koji in a whisper when Dad shuts my door. "It's nothing bad, you aren't in any trouble."

I smile at him kindly. "Thanks, Koji, at least I don't have to worry now."

* * *

The drive to Uncle Aizawa's house is quick and quiet, mostly because both Dad and Koji refuse to speak to me as if they are afraid that they will reveal whatever secret they are hiding from me. That does not really bother me; I am more than capable of waiting to find out what they have planned for me, though I am sure I can figure it out before they actually announce their plan. None of this I say aloud as Dad pulls in behind a car and we get out, Koji running straight for the door before either of us can tell him not to.

"Uncle Aizawa!" he cries as our uncle opens the door, catching himself as Koji launches a surprise hug on him.

"Hey, Koji!" says Uncle Aizawa happily as he embraces Koji and he smiles when he sees me approaching with my father. "Noriko, it's good to see you! How've you been, angel?"

"I've been just fine, Uncle Aizawa," I say with a smile as he reaches to embrace me. "Thank you so much for hosting this party, it was kind of you to offer."

Uncle Aizawa pats my shoulder as he ushers me inside. "It was no problem, Noriko, this is a major milestone for you and it should be recognized properly. Most everyone's already here, so go on outside and mingle a bit before I bring out the food."

I kiss his cheek before heading to the backyard, having to practically drag Koji away from the delicious aromas wafting in from the kitchen. Once we are outside, I see a very familiar face among the crowd of family and friends.

"Mom!" Koji and I shout in unison and we rush to greet our mother. She smiles at us and opens her arms, though she bends down to meet Koji's embrace before acknowledging that I am even in front of her.

"Koji-bear!" she gushes as she nearly chokes him in her embrace. "I missed you so much, baby, it's so good to see you!"

"It's good to see you too, Mom!" says Koji, his voice muffled by Mom's shoulder. "Why didn't you tell us you were coming home today?"

Mom laughs as she pulls away though she still does not let go of Koji. "I wanted to surprise you, did it work?"

Koji nods and he tactfully shrugs Mom's hands from his shoulders. "It's good to see you, Mom, we really missed you. Are you back for a while or are you going to leave again soon?"

"I'm here for as long as I can be," she replies, the same words she uses every time Koji asks her that question whenever she returns from an extended deployment. She then looks at me and gives me a smile that does not quite reach her eyes then she pulls me into an embrace that feels too clinical, like she is hugging a new friend rather than her daughter. "Congratulations, Nori, your father and I are proud of you," she says though I cannot detect any sincerity in her voice whatsoever.

"I'm glad you're home, Mom," I say and I see something cross her eyes though it is gone in an instant. "Things haven't really been the same with you gone so long."

She gives me the same vacant smile then pats my shoulder. "I'm glad to be home too, now if you'll excuse me, I should go help your aunt in the kitchen." Mom walks past me without so much as a parting glance and I frown.

Since I can remember, my mother has treated a bit different than she has Koji; with him she laughs and has warmth to her actions, whereas with me she seems to be doing things out of obligation rather than love. Before Koji came along when I was seven, I thought my mother's behavior towards me was perfectly normal, but when I saw her treating my brother vastly different from myself I knew something about me was unusual. I just could never figure out what.

"Nori!" comes a shout from the doorway and I turn around to Sanne standing in a green dress, a smile on her face. "I'm so glad you invited me, I was so worried we wouldn't be having a party after my parents cancelled theirs. This one works out much better actually, your uncle's backyard is much bigger than ours!"

She flounces towards me and embraces me as if nothing happened at the library, this is typical for Sanne, she will insult and berate one minute then go back to calling you her friend and laughing with you the next. I utterly despise this aspect of her personality. Sanne kisses both of my cheeks and is still smiling despite the fact I have yet to return any of her gestures.

"This is such a fun party," she says with as much excitement as if she had been her for hours rather than minutes. "I think your uncle said that Parisa and Haluk were already here, but I can't see them in the crowd, wow your family knows a lot of people! I didn't expect this many would turn out for the party."

_'Sanne, if you don't shut up right now, I might just kill you,'_ I think menacingly, my fingers twitch involuntarily, as if I were reaching for a pencil this very moment. I know she is doing this on purpose, implying that my achievements and I are not really worth celebrating, and I do not appreciate her suggesting that I am worthless. I do not show her that her words are having any affect on me.

"Nori! Sanne!" calls Haluk and I see Parisa coming up behind him. He is smiling at us both while I notice Parisa scowling at Haluk though she is doing her best not to let anyone see what she is doing. I only notice because I recognize her sullen look as scowling, to most she would simply look like she was only slightly upset about something, not outraged.

"Haluk!" says Sanne and she throws her arms around his neck, bringing him into a crushing embrace and I bristle. Ordinarily I am not a jealous person, but seeing Sanne pressing herself up against Haluk brings out something in me close to jealousy, which is probably why I peel her off of him and put my arms around him; I throw in a kiss for good measure.

"Hey kids!" I hear my dad say as he approaches us, a bottle in hand. "Congratulations on graduating high school! What an accomplishment for the four of you! So where are you all going for university? I already know Nori has aspirations of To-Oh."

"I will likely be attending To-Oh as well, Mister Matsuda," says Parisa proudly and he smiles at her.

Sanne rolls her eyes before replying. "I'll be attending Wasegi University with Haluk."

I look up at Haluk who is blushing. "What's she talking about? I thought you were going to go to To-Oh with Pari and me."

"Well, when it came time to take the exams, I knew I couldn't get into To-Oh so I opted to take the Wasegi exams instead," he says shyly as if he is afraid I am disappointed in his decision. "There's no way I could complete the To-Oh exam with all of the mistakes I was making during cram school and our study sessions."

There seems to be more to this story than Haluk is letting on, but I decide not to pursue the lead, I am sure it would ruin the party and I am not about to let my aunt and uncle's hospitality be for nothing. Instead I smile and kiss his cheek. "That's alright, it just means we'll have to get together more often while we're at school now," I say lightly and he smiles at me, though I do not miss the dreamy look on Sanne's face.

"Nori, did you see your mom?" asks Dad after taking another drink from his bottle. "Man, I'm so glad she's home, it's difficult keeping tabs on you whenever she isn't around."

I raise an eyebrow at his statement. _'Difficult keeping tabs on me? What the hell is that supposed to mean?'_ I ponder as Dad quickly covers up his previous statement with a revised one including Koji.

"Anyway, I should be going somewhere else," says Dad and he wonders off towards my Uncle Mogi and his wife Kyoko.

My friends and I laugh when my dad leaves, we all know what a lightweight he is when it comes to alcohol and how entertaining he can be, and this is probably just the start to the night. I hear Aunt Eriko calling that dinner is ready, and with everyone else, I go inside to help myself and I silently indicate to Ryuk to help himself to the bowl of apples on the table outside.

* * *

After dinner, everyone begins talking loudly and laughing as well, I sit back and watch everyone else talk though I participate every few minutes or so to put on a good show. In all honesty I am more interested in what my father said earlier and about Parisa, right now she is trying to act like everything is normal but I can see it in her eyes that she is very upset about something. I glance at Sanne and Haluk, while they are acting like nothing has happened I can sense a shift in their relationship, something is going on between them now that they are trying to keep a secret from the rest of us. I am sure that they are now seeing each other, even though Haluk and myself have only been going out a few weeks, there is a definite possibility that Sanne's announcement of being in love with Haluk started something.

_'If that's the case, then Pari's right, they do deserve each other,'_ I think bitterly as I take a sip of my ramune, continuing the watch the conversations play out between my friends and family. Suddenly Dad stands up and looks right at me.

"Everyone!" he calls, though the crowd is still loud. "Everyone, can I have your attention please?" People stop talking and look at my father, curious as to what he is about to say. "Thank you, now first I would like to thank everyone for coming out to celebrate Noriko's graduation and to my good friend Aizawa and his wife for planning this; because everyone knows I can't." He pauses and there is a light round of applause and some laughter from the crowd. "Second, I have the absolute pleasure of announcing that Nori has been chosen as To-Oh University's Freshman Representative!"

I feel my cheeks heat up as everyone around me starts to cheer and applaud; I stand up and bow, appearing to everyone to be humbled and honored at the commendation. Outwardly I am humble but inwardly, I knew this was going to be the outcome; there is no rival against me for this position as far as I am concerned. Glancing at my friends I see Sanne trying to look happy but she is coming off as having indigestion, Haluk seems genuinely happy for me, as does Parisa. I look at my family, Dad looks incredibly proud and Koji is clapping wildly, Mom is doing nothing but giving a strained smile; my father's friends all appear to be happy for me as well. I sit back down and everyone resumes their conversations, but I cannot sit still long, I have too much going through my mind to focus so I excuse myself to the washroom.

* * *

"What's wrong, Nori?" asks Ryuk when I am safely locked in the washroom. "You seem a little off tonight."

I do not answer right away; instead I go over to the sink and turn it on, letting the water run before cupping my hands beneath the stream then splashing my face with the cool liquid. _'Get it together, this isn't how you're supposed to behave,'_ I chide myself as I splash another handful of water on my face then turn off the spout and dry my face. Too much is happening at once and it is starting to get overwhelming.

"Nori," says Ryuk and he puts a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm fine," I say in a soft voice, incase someone might be listening at the door. "I'm just . . . a little stressed out right now, that's all. On top of my extracurricular activity, I seem to be having relationship and home drama to contend with; add to that being named Freshmen Representative, and I'm a little worn out."

Ryuk retracts his hand and nods. "I thought this might happen, you see, humans who use a Death Note are subjected to the fear and terror known only to those whom have also used a notebook. Each person is different in their experiences but they all do at some point, for example with Light he became obsessed with the book and the fear of being found out consumed him until he killed L. Your reaction seems to be mild panic attacks induced by the notebook and everyday stress."

I frown at his observation, while it is possible using the Death Note caused this panic episode, I cannot let that be found out otherwise people might start to suspect something is wrong with me. "Well, I can't let that get to me too much," I say calmly, regaining my composure. "Thank you for telling me this, Ryuk, it saved me the trouble of figuring it out for myself and being wrong. Now, I think we should return to the party now."

Ryuk and I do not speak further when I open the door and leave the washroom, though I am surprised to see that a small crowd had gathered in my absence. I try to see what the fuss is about when Dad spots me and for a moment looks panicked before coming over and taking my hand.

"There you are!" he says excitedly and he starts pulling me in the direction of the crowd. "There's someone here that you have to meet, he just arrived. He's an old acquaintance of mine and the Task Force, so please be polite."

I try to respond that I will be anything but rude to this important guest but I am shoved forward before I get the chance and I come face-to-face or at least chest-to-face with the man my father wanted to introduce me to. The man is obviously older than I am, but I tower over him with his face barely reaching me mid-chest, and he has the palest white hair I have ever seen; even more so than Parisa's was. He looks up at me, his grey eyes slightly sunken in with black circles beneath them like he has not gotten enough sleep in years which stand out in stark contrast to his impossibly pale skin. His attire appears to be a set of white pajamas and I see that he is holding a pack of tarot cards in his hands, as if to have a reason not to shake hands or be touched by anyone. To say he is strange in appearance is an understatement.

I bow to him, a smile plastered on my face. "Hello, sir," I say politely as I rise up. "My name is Noriko Matsuda, a pleasure to meet you."

The stranger does not smile back but he does seem to be amused by something. "Hello, Miss Matsuda, my name is Ryuzaki, a pleasure to make your acquaintance," says Ryuzaki and my mind is thrown back to the picture my father had stashed in his journal.

_'Ryuzaki . . . L . . . this man is L!'_ I realize though I do not give myself away. "I'm honored that you're here, Ryuzaki, if you're as important as my father has implied."

I try not to shake or show any signs of fear, just because L is here does not mean they know I am the new Kira, otherwise I would have been arrested already. It seems he is here for his own reasons, though they might very well have to do with the new Kira that has emerged.

"Thank you, Miss Matsuda," says Ryuzaki and he looks up at the men beside him. "Commander, could you find Miss Matsuda and I a discrete spot where we can converse uninterrupted?"

The man he spoke to is a tall American looking man with blonde hair and a large build, he also seems vaguely familiar to me as well though I cannot directly place him. The commander looks around and spies a lone table away from the crowd that is still mingling around us, he guides Ryuzaki and myself to the table where he pulls out a seat for both of us then proceeds to stand a number of feet away. I glance over at him and Ryuzaki sees where my eyes went.

"Don't worry about him," he says dismissively as he starts pulling the tarot cards out of the pack. "He's merely my bodyguard, he won't be listening in on our conversation."

"Why did you want to speak to me, Ryuzaki?" I ask, trying to keep my tone light though I can feel fear racing through my body. "Surely this is not so you could just wish me luck at university."

Ryuzaki shakes his head. "Of course not, if I wanted to do that, I would have sent a postcard," he says dryly and I give him a small grin. "No, what I wanted to talk to you about was the work you've done for the NPA, as according to your father, you wish to someday become a detective like him."

"That's true," I reply without hesitation, there is no point to lie to him if he has already spoken to my father about my career aspirations. "I enjoy solving mysteries and bringing criminals to justice, it's very satisfying." _'If this man does think I'm Kira or at least connected, I've just given him a reason to have me around, my sense of justice probably mirrors the original Kira's,'_ I consider smugly. _'If there is a new investigation going on, I want to be a part of it, and finish what Light started. Besides, being involved with the investigation is the best chance I have of making sure they don't suspect me too much.'_

"I see," says Ryuzaki as he begins to stack the cards on the table. "Well, I have done some research on you, Miss Matsuda, and I'm here to extend an invitation to work with myself and a select few on a particularly troubling case. I am of the belief that your insight and deductive skills will be beneficial to our case, so long as you can prove yourself."

This is suspicious. "Prove myself?" I ask innocently. "How can I do that?"

"I've arranged for you to have a test in a few days time that will determine your level of reasoning and deductive abilities," explains Ryuzaki. "After the test has concluded, I will score you and if you attain a high enough level, you will be made an official member of the investigation. Please know that this offer is not made lightly and is due in part to your skills and your parents' recommendation. I have worked with them both before in the past and trust their judgment, so I am sure you will not disappoint me."

"Don't worry, this won't be done in vain," I say with a laugh and I can feel his eyes boring into me. If this man is actually L, then it is a fair assumption that he has started investigating these new murders, though I doubt he suspects me entirely; I have done nothing to taunt the police and have yet to tip my hand to anyone regarding my location. Whatever he wants, I have to figure out, and soon.


	8. Games

**A/N: POVs change throughout the story between Near/Ryuzaki/L and Noriko Matsuda. Enjoy!**

* * *

Today is the day, the day I come face-to-face with my past. When I met with her the other day, it was like I had been thrown back almost eighteen years, now everything is coming full circle at last. There will no longer be a need to keep up the charade after today, everyone can go back to their lives as if nothing had ever disrupted them, and I will finally end what the original L started.

Everyone is here to bear witness, all those whom have sacrificed so much for the greater cause of keeping the world free of Kira and those like him. The only member not present is the one who is bringing her to me, the one person who accepted this situation as something more than just a means to an end. The others and myself knew this day would come; he could not accept it and continually delayed our meeting until he could no longer, and now he is about to lead his lamb to slaughter. I smile to myself as I watch the car appear on the monitor, she is here at last.

I look around me and feel a sense of pride at the people who are collected here today. Raku, my trusted second in command has played the role of unassuming mother well, and after today she will be free from her burden. Aizawa, Mogi, and Ide have done an excellent job with their parts as the favorite uncles, and I doubt I could have chosen better men; they did this to honor their fallen chief, devoted these last years making sure his sacrifice was not in vain. Before the sun sets, they can walk to his grave with their heads held high, knowing they did as he would have wanted. Matsuda, the only one who refused to see this situation for what it truly is, has admittedly done more than his share of work. I sincerely hope that he is not too distraught over what happens here today and is able to move on with his life. All this I think, but will never say, they do not need to hear my praise; it would seem hollow to them anyway.

"Near, it's time," says Raku, her voice cold as she watches Noriko and Matsuda enter the building, her eyes clear as she allows them entry into the inner sanctum. For a moment I wonder if she regrets her part in this, but I know that thought is stupid, she regrets nothing.

"Fine, let's play host," I say flatly. My trap is set and I fear nothing from what is about to come to pass, if anything I will be relieved when this is finally over and I have my complete victory.

* * *

"Dad, what's wrong?" I ask, concern evident in my voice. My father has barely spoken a word to me since he woke me up early this morning and I am sure it has something to do with this test Ryuzaki has set up for me today. "Please, talk to me, Daddy. This whole thing's starting to scare me."

Dad looks over at me and smiles though it seems forced; he reaches over and takes my hand in his like he did when I was younger. "Don't worry, Nori," he says calmly. "There's nothing to be scared about." I can tell he is lying but I choose not to call him out, if anything I am lying when I smile back at him; inside I am terrified.

This whole meeting seems to be some kind of setup with the offer of being an investigator as bait and Ryuzaki as the instigator. Actually now that I think about it, this could really be a trap, though I highly doubt that it is a trap set for Kira; I went over my movements last night and found that I had not left a trail back to myself or anyone else for that matter. While it is obvious to suspect Kira, there is nothing linking me to being him, so for what other reason could I possibly be being investigated? _'I'm missing something,'_ I consider as we end up at a large skyscraper, one I had seen all of my life but never been into.

Dad stops the car and begins to go through a series of checks that seem to be security measures and I try to sit still though my instincts are screaming for me to run from the car and keep running until I can hide. I am very tempted to do just that, after all my instincts are hardly wrong and warning signs are staring me straight in the face in this situation. My hand slides discreetly to my seatbelt buckle, fingers primed over the button as I calculate how far I can make it before my father and everyone starts chasing after me. My odds seem to be pretty good considering my father cannot run as fast as I can and it would take the others a while to get to the street from their position.

"Nori, I love you, you know that right?" asks Dad and I refrain from unbuckling.

"Yeah, I know that," I say, my voice quivering despite myself. "I love you too, Daddy." Silence falls between us but I pluck up the courage to speak again. "Dad, what's going to happen to me? I get the feeling I'm not going to leave this place."

He looks over at me and seems on the verge of tears, which scares me even more. "Just promise me that you won't hate me," he says finally before tears start to roll down his cheeks. "Please, Noriko, don't hate us for this."

"Dad, you're really starting to scare me," I say, inching away from him. "Please, don't keep me in the dark, tell me what's going on! I deserve to know something at least, or do you think otherwise?"

"This wasn't my choice for you," is all he says as he parks the car in the underground parking lot. When he turns off the car and gets out, I hesitate, something is going to happen to me here I can feel it and I am scared to death. I look up to see Ryuk in the backseat and he just shrugs at me.

Dad opens his door again, this time I do not see any tears but that hardly means anything. "Come on, Nori, it's time to go." I know I have to get out, but I really want to go home.

Slowly I get out of the car, making sure to memorize where the exits are in case I need to get away, and I follow my father to an elevator. I wonder briefly if he is going to kill me before we get to our destination, that certainly seems logical given how he is behaving and I hesitate getting into the elevator with him but he pulls me in and holds my hand. I want to pull away, put some distance between us so he cannot do what I think he might, but something keeps my hand in his. For once, I do not question why, I simply accept the action.

We arrive at the designated floor and a door on the other side of the room opens up for us automatically, it is too late to run now, or at least this will make it more difficult. With trembling legs I follow my father into the room, which opens up into a massive space that I can only imagine leads to other areas of the building. At the center of the room is a wall of monitors of various sizes with Ryuzaki sitting in a desk chair with my mother and uncles flanking him on either side. I see three other people standing around as well, one of them I recognize as the man Ryuzaki called 'commander' the other night, the other man and blonde haired woman seem familiar to me but I cannot remember why. My memory is usually better than this, though I guess fear and anger are clouding all cognitive function.

"Good morning, Miss Matsuda," says Ryuzaki, as he twists his hair between his fingers. "I assume you know why you're here?"

"For your deductive skills and reasoning test," I say calmly, looking him straight in the eyes. "Or is there an ulterior motive for having me here today?"

Ryuzaki shakes his head. "No, why do you ask?" He glares at my father and I deduce that he figures my father let something about this meeting slip that he was supposed to keep secret.

"I'm just skeptical since there were several security check points," I reply convincingly and he merely nods.

"If that's all, then I would like to get this test underway, if that's alright with you?" asks Ryuzaki and I nod. "Fine then; Commander, could you and Gevanni bring in the table and chair and Raku, please bring the files."

The people he spoke to spring into action almost like they are puppets on a string; the two men bring over a card table then one places a metal folding chair at one end, Ryuzaki wheels himself to the opposite end of the table just as my mother brings him several files. My father puts his hand gently on my shoulder and silently indicates to me that I must sit down now. I move to the table though my feet are like lead and refuse to move as quickly as I would like, when I do make it Ryuzaki is already bringing out photographs.

"Miss Matsuda," he says at last, his voice like a rough whisper though he is speaking at a normal volume. "What I am about to show you are three pictures, I am not going to tell you what they are or what they pertain to, that is for you to determine. You are allowed to ask questions, but the more you ask, the lower your level goes. If you are able to solve these correctly with no questions asked, then we can move onto the next stage, do you understand the rules?"

I almost feel like I am playing a game; well, if he wants to play, then so will I. "I understand," I say with a shaky voice. "Before we start, I have one question."

"Of course, and no, this one will not affect my perception of your skills," he says, trying to sound reassuring but he comes off arrogant.

"If I am invited to work on this investigation, will I be working with L?" I ask sounding innocent enough though I see the concerned looks my parents and uncles are giving each other.

Ryuzaki does not seem surprised by my question. "This investigation does have that potential," he says and he hands me the photographs. "Now, tell me what these are."

I look down at the photographs and furrow my brow, the images are of notes and after I finish reading them they seem to be suicide notes and one of them mentions Kira. There is no way that that is what Ryuzaki wants me to say, after all anyone with a brain could figure that out, no there is something more to these notes. I think back to what my father's diary said, he mentioned that some of Kira's victims started writing suicide notes but what is the significance of these? I read them again, looking now for any hidden messages. _'That's it!' _I realize when I read them. _'There's a hidden message in these notes from Kira!'_

My heart is racing as I scan each line searching for the hidden message, then I finally crack the message Kira left behind: _L, do you know gods of death love apples_? I do not voice my findings right away; instead I consider the possibility of whether or not this will implicate me as being Kira. Honestly it really would not, after all I was supposed to find this message and since I did not come up with it right away means I had to search for it, but he could take my slow time as just acting. If I tell him I found the message, does that mean he will ask me about Kira and what I know? Probably, just to see if I know anything that the general public is not aware of already, and now that I know that I can respond.

Slowly I place the pictures back on the table and look at Ryuzaki. "Theses notes were written by three of Kira's victims," I say calmly, looking directly at him as I speak. "One of the notes mentions Kira directly while the other two don't, but that doesn't mean they weren't written by his victims. Each note contains part of a message directed at L and it stands to reason that Kira made them write these notes as a way of taunting L; it's far too unlikely that these three people agreed together to write these notes and leave a message like this one for L. Otherwise, they might have written something different."

"Interesting theory," says Ryuzaki as he glances down at the notes. "You mentioned there's a message hidden in these notes, what message would that be?"

"L, do you know gods of death love apples?" I reply, trying not to smirk when I see the looks on everyone's faces. Those who knew about Kira look like they are going to fall over and I really want to laugh but I manage to hold it together.

"Well done, Miss Matsuda," says Ryuzaki with a small smile. "These notes were indeed written by victims of Kira shortly before they died, though this information was never made public. Ordinarily that would mean you had access to information only the police had, but you were able to back up your claim with support from the evidence itself. As you said, if these three willing wrote these messages together, why leave a strange message like that one? I'm impressed, to say the least."

"Thank you," I say politely as he takes the photos away. _'I knew it, this was a test to see how much about Kira I know compared to the rest of the world, and if I hadn't have backed up my assertions with evidence he could have accused me of possessing unlawful information. Well played, L, but I didn't fall into your trap.'_

* * *

_'Damn it, she figured it out,'_ I consider as I put the images back in the file. _'She did well in deciphering the message and ascertaining that the notes were written by Kira's victims. I knew she would do fine but I had no idea that she would so quickly figure out my strategy; which makes the next test even more important than before.'_

I reach for the next file, which is thicker than the last one, and slide it across the table to her, which she readily grabs. This next test will certainly be interesting to see, since it entails her uncovering the identity of not just the original Kira but the second Kira as well, though I am eager for her to get to the final test and see what she thinks of that finding. I watch her start looking at the papers in the file and wonder for a moment if I what I am doing is wrong, but I know that this is for the greater good of mankind.

"Miss Matsuda," I say and she looks up at me, though her hand is still on a document. "These are some of the original documents from the Kira case, in them contains two very important conclusions and it's your test to figure out what those two conclusions are. Again you can ask as many questions as you wish but it will affect your overall score, though based off of your performance with the first test, I am sure you will not ask any. You may begin when you are ready."

She merely smiles at me and goes back to scanning the documents. I have to give myself credit for this test; it has taken years of carefully retracing the original L's steps to recover this much data that had been lost to Watari's data deletion, though I must thank Light for creating such an effective back up system. This file contains pretty much the entire Kira case from start to just before Light was incarcerated for fifty days, and if she is able to figure out who the original Kira was as well as the second, then she will be ready for the final test. What will be truly impressive is if she reaches the conclusion in similar steps to L's and my own.

* * *

_'Well, these are certainly interesting,'_ I think as I scan the documents and begin sorting them into more cohesive piles. _'It would seem that this is evidence from the original Kira case, so I have to come up with Light Yagami and Misa Amane as the two Kira's, but I have to do it in such a way that it matches up with the evidence.'_

My first pile of documents consists of facts about Kira gained from the first few days of the investigation: his possible location, purpose for killing, first victims, times of death, that he might possibly be a student, and have access to police information. My second pile contains the facts about the FBI investigation into members of the NPA Task Force: the names and files of each member, their families, which agent was assigned to which family and for how long, and the date and times of the agents' deaths. The third pile has the transcribed messages from Kira to the world that had been broadcasted on Sakura TV, a list of the names of victims from that night, more transcribed messages from Kira, a picture of diary entries, and a list of the people who went to the locations mentioned in the diary along with two other messages. The fourth pile is smaller than the rest as it just has handwritten notes from one of the investigators regarding someone he was following, though no names are mentioned as to who it was he was watching, an inventory of forensic evidence, a signed warrant for Misa Amane's arrest and a confession of sorts.

I smile as I look at the evidence laid out in front of me, this is simple child's play, and I am sure Ryuzaki knows that I will likely come to the same conclusion based on these documents. "Alright, I believe I've solved the mystery," I declare proudly and Ryuzaki looks at me with a mix of antipathy and anticipation. "I can walk you through my deduction or I can just blurt out the answer if you prefer that."

Ryuzaki shakes his head. "No, I would like to see your thought process, that was the whole point of having you look at that file."

"Fine then," I say and I point at the first pile. "This has most of the information gathered about Kira around the time he started killing; his first victim appeared to be just a test of his abilities since his crime was not as severe as Kira's next victims, which means he was not killing for very long. Also, something of note is his first victim was from the Kanto region of Japan and his death was only ever known in Japan; so it stands to reason that Kira was in Japan at the time and merely saw the broadcast or lived in the region. Either way, it narrows his possible location to Japan. Next when looking at his victims following the first, they all die around the same time everyday though weekends and holidays in Japan seem to have more varied times; so Kira could have been a student but probably a high school student considering that the times between killings correspond to cram school schedules. Around the time it was suspected that Kira was a student, the killings changed to one every hour of every day. This is significant for two reasons; one it demonstrates more of Kira's control over his victims, and two it shows that Kira had access to police information."

"How did you reach that last conclusion?" interrupts Ryuzaki.

"Simple, the pace of the killings changed almost the same day the Task Force decided Kira might be a student," I reply. "It seems that he wanted them to know he was watching them, which might explain why the FBI was brought in to investigate the members of the Task Force."

"Interesting," says Ryuzaki, twisting more hair. "Please continue."

"The FBI came to Japan just a few days after it was discovered information was leaked to Kira," I say, glancing at my parents as I speak. "They were assigned to watch two to three families of members of the Task Force depending on the size, and were killed twelve days after coming here. It stands to reason that Kira was among one of these families and discovered that he was being tailed, so he took it upon himself to kill them; and if we eliminate families with at least the eldest child younger than high school age or whose child is not in their final year of high school, then we are left with three agents and six families. One of the agents quit the investigation during this time, so that brings us to two agents and four families. Looking at this list of the times the agents died, the first to die was someone of lower rank than most of the others, but the people he had been investigating I've eliminated as possible Kira suspects so he means nothing in the great scheme of things. His death was to make L and the other Task Force members think Kira contacted him. Actually, the agent Kira contacted was Raye Penber; as he was the last agent to die."

"Which families was he investigating?" asks Ryuzaki, his eyes glued to the paper I am showing him.

I flip to the report and pull it out for him to see. "He was investigating two: NPA Deputy Director General Kitamura and Detective Superintendent Soichiro Yagami. Both families had at least one child due to graduate from high school and who were attending cram school at the time. Penber concluded that neither child was suspicious but after his death, they were looked at the most; with particular interest in Light Yagami, the superintendent's son. During this part of the investigation, a second Kira emerged."

"How are you sure it was a second Kira?" asks Ryuzaki.

"The method of killing is different," I say, pulling out the transcriptions of the original messages. "Three men collapsed on the ground outside of the TV station, none of them revealed their names just their faces; and from what I read earlier, Kira needed a face and a name in order to kill, so this one was clearly different. Also, the people that were killed that night to prove that the fake was the real Kira were guilty of pettier crimes, probably as a countermeasure to make sure he did not kill criminals that Kira might kill himself. Anyway, the second message confirms this theory when the fake says he only wants to meet Kira and assist him in his mission to create a better world. He then sends a diary to the TV station to be aired as a way of communicating a time and place to meet Kira; the Task Force obviously intercepts this and sends agents to the places mentioned in the diary on the designated dates. Another message is received three days after the sting operation, postmarked the day after the trip to Aoyama; the only police in Aoyama at the time was Agent Matsui and the Task Force sent Light Yagami there as well. Then a few days later there was a final message by the second Kira, which implied that he and the original Kira had already met; in the first tapes, the second Kira asked for L to appear on TV or he would kill Kitamura but in the final tape, he rescinded his demand."

"So you reached your conclusion based on this evidence?" asks Ryuzaki and I shake my head, much to his surprise.

"This helped, but what really determined the identity of the second Kira and the original Kira for that matter were the notes written by another agent," I say pointing to the final stack of papers. "As well as another interesting piece of information; a warrant for a woman named Misa Amane. Later on she confessed to being in Aoyama at the same time as the police were, so that plus some other details in the forensic evidence led me to conclude that she was the second Kira. She also proclaimed her love several times for Light Yagami, citing that she fell in love with him at first sight in Aoyama on the day mentioned in the diary from the second Kira. That led me to conclude that Kira had to be Light Yagami, the circumstantial evidence is too overwhelming for it to be anyone else."

There is silence in the room when I finish speaking and I wonder if I did something wrong, if I came to a conclusion I was not supposed to; that is until Ryuzaki starts to applaud.

"Well done, Miss Matsuda," he says at last, though I do not relax. "I must admit I was a little more than skeptical that you would be able to solve this one, but you did, and you used every shred of evidence presented to you. I wish we had had you on our side when Kira was around, we could have saved ourselves a great deal of time and saved more lives. But you came to the same conclusion as the rest of us did: Misa Amane was the second Kira and Light Yagami was the original."

"Now I'm wishing my school didn't put him on such a pedestal," I say, crossing my arms and looking away. "To think his image is being used as the ideal student and teachers encourage their students, myself included, to aspire to his level is sickening now that I know the truth."

From under my eyelids I see Ryuzaki shrug. "While it is a shame, you can hardly blame them, after all to them he was simply an exceptional student with a bright future; no one ever learned the truth. And now that you have, I think it goes without saying that none of what you have seen is to leave this room."

"I understand, it would be a huge scandal if this was released," I say pleasantly as he reaches over and picks up the evidence he showed me. Then he reaches into his shirt and pulls out another file, this one is thinner than the last one but thicker than the first; I wonder what he is going to ask me to find with this after what I just uncovered. He slides the file to me and I am struck by how oddly it has been named: Baby Kira.

* * *

_'She figured it out again, damn her,'_ I think as I slide the file to her. I have to keep from smiling when I see her reaction to reading the file header. This is the only file no one knew existed until this moment and now is the time for all to be revealed, there is no backing out.

"This file contains the last test," I explain when I have composed myself enough to speak. "Inside will tell you exactly why I brought you here today."

I watch her pick up the file and open it, her eyes scanning the first page quickly and move onto the next pages. Behind me I hear someone take a step forward and looking over my shoulder I see Aizawa and Raku with their hands on Matsuda; I roll my eyes, even now he tries to interfere with the plan. I turn around and see Noriko pale instantly and I know she is figuring out my final test.

* * *

I open the file and see a death certificate on the top of the pile; I scan the name listed in the center and am surprised to see that it says Misa Amane, according to this she died in September of 2010. I almost laugh, that is just a month after I was born, then I flip to the next page and immediately want to vomit; the next page is a certificate of marriage for Touta Matsuda and Raku Penber. I look up at my mother who is no longer looking at me and I realize instantly that her brother was Raye Penber, the FBI agent who was involved in investigating Light Yagami. I look at the date on the certificate and am stunned to see that they were married in June of 2010 when I have been told my entire life that they were married at least a few months before I was conceived. For a moment I wonder if they were merely hiding the fact I was conceived out of wedlock when I flip to the next page and nearly drop the folder. The next piece of paper is a form for adoption; it stated that Touta and Raku Matsuda were scheduled to adopt a baby girl in August of 2010 after the mother gave birth.

With trembling hands I turn to the next page, and sure enough there is a birth certificate with my name on it. Below my name and date of birth are my parents' names though when I read them the world starts to spin around me: listed as my mother is Misa Amane and my father is listed as Light Yagami.


	9. Shadows

**A/N: Some POV changes in this chapter. Hope you all enjoy this chapter, sorry the update took so long!**

* * *

_'No . . . no, it can't . . . but . . . no!'_ is all I can think of as I look at my birth certificate; I almost want to believe that it is a fake, a forgery used to try and get me to confess to something, but my mind tells me that this is the truth. And the truth is that I have been lied to since the day I was born; the only person whom has ever been honest with me is my birth mother when she put her name and my birth father's down on this certificate. I look up at the others, people I used to consider family, and want to kill them all where they stand. They lied about everything, I bet this "test" has just been another lie to add to the ever-growing list, and they all deserve a slow and agonizing death.

"You're all liars," I say at last, unable to keep the venom out of my voice. "You knew this entire time that I was adopted and that my parents were Kira, didn't you?"

Matsuda steps forward, I look at him and cannot even believe that I thought myself his daughter; looking back I should have known immediately I was adopted. "Nori, please try to understand, we did what we thought was best for you—" he starts but Raku interrupts.

"There's no need to lie anymore, Touta," she snaps, her eyes glued to mine. "Yes, we lied to you, we've always known about your origins and we thought to keep it a secret. Your real mother came to Matsuda after learning she was pregnant with a dead man's child and asked him to take you in. She said that she would live only long enough to give birth to the last living part of her lover then join him, and she kept her promise, she jumped off a building about a week and a half after we took you. Touta and I were married before you were born, though we had been dating long before your father was revealed as Kira."

"Like I care about that," I sneer and I see many of the people in the room take a step backwards. "I'm glad to know that my mother, my _real_ mother was the _only_ person I could trust, unlike you Raku, I knew something was up with you the minute Koji was born. You acted cold and distant to me, but adored and loved Koji more than anything; you gave yourself away a long time ago so don't act like you owe me the truth."

"Nori, don't—" again starts Matsuda, trying to sound like a father but I cut him off.

"Shut up!" I shout, jumping to my feet. "You're not my father, you never have been! Of everyone here, I thought maybe you were the one I could trust the most but you . . . knowing you lied to me, about everything . . ."

"But I didn't lie about everything!" he insists, tears in his eyes as he falls to his knees. "I love you, Nori, I've always seen you as my little girl and that won't change! I raised you from when you were newborn and I was there for every accomplishment and struggle, I am your father! Just because I didn't sire you doesn't mean that isn't true, please believe me!"

"What does it matter if I believe you or if I don't?" I ask darkly, my eyes darting between him and the others. "The fact of the matter is you still lied to me, you played along with everything while telling me that you loved me, that I was your little girl. Why did you do this to me? Why did you lie to me for my entire life?!" I have never wanted my Death Note so badly, and the piece of paper tucked in my bra is practically burning against my skin. If I did not want answers just as badly, they would all have been dead before now.

"Because I told them to," says Ryuzaki and I round to him, my expression must be terrifying as I see him flinch. "When Amane told Matsuda about being pregnant with Light's child, he told Raku and I together; I saw it as a preemptive move against any future Kira if you were acquired by us. That way you could be monitored well within my sight and I would know immediately if something was going on. Originally you were going to be sent to an orphanage in England, but Matsuda insisted that you were an innocent and deserved to grow up with a family, so I agreed to the adoption. Aizawa, Mogi, and Ide agreed to be in your life as well in order to help watch you whenever you were out of your parents' sight; though I am sure they did it out of respect for your grandfather, Soichiro. And now, their jobs have concluded."

"What do you mean?" I ask, wondering what this small man-child could possibly have planned for me after just completely obliterating my trust in people for the rest of my life.

"Earlier this week your parents signed you over to me," replies Ryuzaki and I have to keep myself from strangling him with my bare hands. "They are no longer legally responsible for you and do not have to associate themselves further with you, as you are now my ward and will come to live here where I can keep an eye on you."

_'That's it, everyone here will be dead before I leave this room,'_ I think but I convince myself otherwise, perhaps they are waiting for me to do something like that and have someone standing by to arrest me if I make a move. That would certainly make sense, though if I find out this was all a setup then I will happily kill them all before going to prison.

"So am I to be Noriko Ryuzaki then?" I ask snidely and he shakes his head.

"No, your name has always legally been your birth name," he says somewhat smugly. "You have always been known to the world as Noriko Yagami excluding you and your friends; Noriko Matsuda, daughter of Touta and Raku Matsuda, never truly existed except in a few choice files. In order to assure this story, Noriko Matsuda will be killed in a car accident this afternoon."

I feel like I am going to fall over dead myself when he says that, he must realize that this screws up what remains of my life! My school records are all under my adopted name and now with that girl dead, Noriko Yagami cannot just step into her place and resume her life.

"And don't worry about school," says Ryuzaki as if reading my mind. "We knew this day would come eventually, so we've made two copies of your school and other records that might come in handy later in life. One copy is forged, with your adopted name on it but your true documents have your real name on them and have been submitted to every school you've ever attended along with the fake. You were always registered as Matsuda, but all of your achievements are officially recognized under Yagami; so when we submitted your school records to To-Oh, it was Noriko Yagami whom they named Freshman Representative."

"How were you able to do that without arousing too much suspicion?" I ask, trying to keep my rage under control. "Surely the government would think it strange that a person legally known under one name is being registered under another."

"I and your parents explained to the school officials that while you were registered as Matsuda, you've always known about being Yagami, and that when you entered university you would be going by that name," he says and I choke on a sob. "They agreed to the two copy idea, after some more persuasion, and thus have always officially recognized your student record under the name Noriko Yagami."

"And how the hell are you able to influence such things?" I demand, if I am going to be expected to live with this man, I want to at least know whom I am dealing with.

Ryuzaki sighs slightly, maybe he expected me to ask this sooner. "While you and the Task Force call me Ryuzaki, my name is actually L."

_'I knew it!'_ I want to scream. I knew he was too well connected and knew far too much about the Kira case to be anyone else. Though I think I know something that will throw him off his game, and he deserves that after what he has done to me. "Don't you mean the third L?" I ask arrogantly and he frowns at me, the rest of the people look at me wide-eyed.

"Yes, I suppose that would be the truth, but please continue to call me Ryuzaki," replies Ryuzaki. "We can discuss later how you discovered that there have been three people posing as L, though I'm sure you're eager to get back home and pack."

"Not really, but I don't have a choice, do I?" I ask, letting my irritation seep into my voice. I want him to know that while he has control of this situation, I have no intention of cooperating more than I am required. "Am I allowed to keep my friends? Can I at least have a social life at school?"

Ryuzaki looks at me like the answer should have been obvious. "Of course you can, you can just tell them that the news was mistaken about your death. Though the name change might require a bit more of a story than that. And this should go without saying, but you won't be allowed any contact with Koji or the other investigators' children from here on; they will be informed of your death and probably be in attendance at the mock funeral to be held in the next few days."

This is too much to handle right now and I feel like I am going to be sick, I want to fall on the ground and throw the world's most ungodly tantrum but I maintain myself. While this new situation presents some challenges at being the new Kira, I can make this work to my advantage, starting with my friends.

"I guess I had best pack then," I say bitterly. "Before Koji gets home and sees that I'm not dead. Would it be all right if just Matsuda accompanied me home? He's the only one I feel comfortable with right now."

"Of course," says Ryuzaki. "I'll give you a few hours, that should be enough time to pack your things and if necessary, speak to your friends about the situation."

"Thank you, Ryuzaki," I say and he motions to Matsuda to escort me out of the building. I have a plan but it would have to be enacted soon and it requires some cooperation.

* * *

"That went better than I expected," I say when Matsuda and Noriko leave the room; Raku looks at me with a smirk.

"Really? If that was your best case scenario then I'd hate to see what the worst case was," she says with a laugh.

"You wouldn't, you'd be dead," I reply and I turn around to face the monitors, watching some scenes unfold in other parts of the world.

Aizawa walks up beside me and sighs heavily. "You can't possibly believe that she'll become another Kira, can you? That sort of thing isn't exactly inherited genetically."

"You're right, Aizawa," I say, twisting a piece of hair as I stack dice with the other. "Kira's powers cannot be inherited genetically, but she might have a predisposition for some of the traits that led her father down the path to becoming Kira. She is now the same age he was when he first picked up the notebook all those years ago, so perhaps those traits do not manifest until a certain age, since Light did not demonstrate any of those personality traits until later in life. I want to keep a close eye on Noriko from now on."

"Is that why you're giving her Misa's old floor?" asks Mogi, despite his outwardly stoic nature, I know he cared about Misa when they were incarcerated together; now it seems that he cares about her daughter in a similar way by the edge to his voice.

I nod and switch one of the cameras to the main room of Noriko's new home. "Yes, that's exactly why, though I plan on having her followed whenever she leaves here. Don't think merely having her here is enough, I might have to put more resources into this project as the years go by, especially when she turns twenty. The minute that happens, I no longer have any reason to keep her here, she'll legally be an adult and holding her would then be considered kidnapping."

"Well, it's better than keeping her with us," sneers Raku, apparently she did not like Noriko's comment about being obvious in her preferences. "This is going to hurt Koji, but I'd rather that hurt him than her try to kill him or something. That brat's father took my brother away from me, and my best friend too, I'm amazed I didn't kill her myself to be honest."

"You were instructed not to, that's why you didn't," snaps Ide and she rolls her eyes.

"Give me a break, Ide, you never cared for her any more than I did," she retorts and I have to agree with her there, of all those involved, Raku and Ide were the least emotionally invested in this project. "And it's not like I didn't have the opportunity, remember when she had that really bad case of pneumonia? If Matsuda had just stayed in the States a few more days, we wouldn't be dealing with this situation."

Aizawa snorts. "Are you that heartless, Penber that you'd actually justify denying a six year old medical attention?"

"You have to see it from her perspective, Aizawa," I say as I type a few commands into the computer for Roger. "She never saw Noriko as her own child, unlike Matsuda, and saw her only as the child of the man who murdered her brother and best friend in cold blood. For her to have raised Noriko for almost twenty years certainly speaks volumes about her dedication to her work and the fact she did not kill the girl when she had the opportunity is a credit to her humanity. I doubt very few women in Raku's position would be as professional."

"After watching the aftermath, I'm not sure who I feel sorrier for: Noriko or Matsuda," says Mogi quietly and I can understand his feelings. While Noriko's reaction was anticipated, and somewhat volatile, Matsuda's was very unexpected though I knew he would show some emotion since he grew so attached to her. She might have been Light Yagami's daughter, but she was also Soichiro Yagami's granddaughter, and I believe that is why Matsuda put his heart into this assignment; to honor the man he admired most. An admirable reason but one that simply made this more difficult than it needed to be.

"You know you will still be working with her," I say calmly. "She might now be my ward, but I will be putting her skills to work in solving this case regarding the Kira cult, and you are also working on it. I can understand if you would rather work on it at the NPA headquarters, but Raku, you will be expected to be with me most of the time. Will this arrangement be too difficult for you?"

Raku shakes her head and puts a hand lightly on my shoulder. "No, I'll be able to work here as long as she doesn't do anything to me."

"Good," I say as I bring up some news feed. "Now, let's see what's going on in the world."

* * *

Matsuda attempts to start a conversation several times with me on the ride back to his house, but I refuse to speak with him, I did not request him as my bodyguard for his conversation skills; I asked for him because I know he will not question my movements, nor will he betray me now. If what he said before is true, then I can safely assume that he will try to win back some trust with me to show he genuinely loves me, and that I can take advantage of. Right now I do not have to try and play nice with him, he probably knows that I am going to be despondent given the current situation. Later on, when I have to interact with him after things have settled down a little, that is when I will need to take advantage of his paternal side.

"Home sweet home," he announces as we pull into the driveway. Immediately I get out of the car and head to the door, using my key to open it and rush up to my room before he has a chance to say anything to me.

"Ryuk, we're going to have a nice chat in a little while," I say to the _Shinigami_ once I close my door, knowing that it I have only a few moments before Matsuda comes looking for me.

"Yeah, I figured that was coming," says Ryuk, and his voice suggests he is pouting.

"Nori, are you packing yet?" asks Matsuda through the door.

_'He's giving me some privacy, good,'_ I think as I start pulling out some suitcases and backpacks from my closet. I really should be packing, so I might as well actually do it and not bother pretending to be, if anything this gives me a chance to take a few extra items with me. "Yeah, just getting my bags together," I say flatly, I really did not have much time to waste talking with him.

"Okay," says Matsuda. "Listen, if you aren't able to get everything from your room, just let me know and I'll bring it by your new place when I have the chance."

He probably expects me to snap at him, but for the sake of future goals, I do not. "Thank you, Mr. Matsuda," I say with just a hint of warmth in my voice. Knowing Matsuda, that is enough to reassure him that I am not completely angry with him.

"Well, I'll be downstairs, call if you need any help," he replies but I can hear the smile in his voice as he starts down the hall towards the stairs.

"Ryuk," I say in a very soft voice. "Did you know my father was Light?"

"I suspected you might be related since the name above your head reads 'Yagami,'" he says and I can tell he is a little nervous admitting to me what he knows.

I try not to yell at him, though it would vastly improve my mood if I could. "And you neglected to tell me this detail, because . . .?"

Ryuk shrugs as he watches me put my clothes in a suitcase. "_Shinigami_ aren't allowed to reveal the names of any humans to other humans, I'm assuming that means I can't tell you what I see whenever I look at your face."

"I guess I can't blame you for that, considering it seems like the _Shinigami_ are expected to obey a multitude of rules," I concede as I finish unloading my wardrobe into one suitcase. I then head over to the closet and start pulling out the clothes I actually like and the ones I would rather see given away. "Tell me this then, what happens when you die? Whether you're a human killed by a _Shinigami_ or not."

"You cease to exist," he says casually. "Very few humans are given a new existence in the Afterlife, and those who are usually end up as _Shinigami_ or _tanjokami_. But those are extremely rare cases and there's only been one case of that recently, when a human became a _Shinigami_."

"And you will tell me who that is," I say coldly as I finish stuffing my suitcase. "And the reason you will tell me is because I'm about to liberate you from your boredom, Ryuk, things are about to get more interesting; but only if you tell me the name of the newest _Shinigami_."

Ryuk stares at me and I can tell he is thinking about whether or not he could actually tell me about the new _Shinigami_. "Alright, I'll tell you, better yet I'll make you a deal," he says slyly and I have a feeling this has something to do with a human's lifespan.

"Tell me the conditions of your deal," I say calmly.

"I'll tell you the name of the _Shinigami_ and take you to meet him in the _Shinigami_ Realm," says Ryuk and I already like the way this deal is going. "But only if you let me kill any human I choose, regardless of who it is or what they might mean to you."

"Fine, but I get to pick when you kill that person," I say, extending my hand to Ryuk. _'I just traded someone's life, someone I might know, for information. Who knew it would be so easy?'_

"Fine, I can agree with that," says Ryuk and he shakes my hand awkwardly. "And don't worry, I won't be killing you anytime soon, your life's forfeit to me anyway now that you've used the Death Note."

"Alright then, tell me the name of the _Shinigami_," I demand and at my request, Ryuk merely smiles.

"No, I think it'd be better if you meet him yourself," says Ryuk and he grabs ahold of me and starts flying at incredible speeds straight through the house. I had been bracing myself for the inevitable crash but find that I have not been injured and from the quick glance I get of the world below me, the house is intact as well. The higher we fly, the more the world changes; first the clouds disappear from existence, then the sky began to fade in color from a brilliant blue to a flat grey and then the clouds return though they are more congregated in the sky. I can feel Ryuk losing altitude and we drop into the clouds, when I look down I see a dismal land consisting of grey, barren patches, and rock formations. I catch a glimpse of what look like bones but I cannot be entirely sure, as we draw in closer to the ground I can feel my eyes burning, like what I am looking at is too much for them to take in.

"You might want to try switching your vision," says Ryuk as he slows his mighty wings down. "Human eyes were never meant to see the _Shinigami_ Realm, and I don't know what will happen if you do for too long."

"Thanks, Ryuk," I say against grit teeth and I shift my vision to my _Shinigami_ Eyes, which is remarkably easier now than in the human world, and when I open them the world is a mix of red and grey. I see figures dotting the landscape, which I can only surmise, are more _Shinigami_, and as we land several of them move towards us.

"Ryuk, what is this thing?" asks one of the _Shinigami_, this one has blonde hair and white markings up and down his exposed limbs.

"It looks like a human," comments a _Shinigami_ with what looks like a Native American headdress. "Is it a male or female? They're so difficult to tell apart. Come on, Ryuk, tell us your owner's name."

Many more _Shinigami_ began voicing their questions and evaluations of me, though they hardly seem interested in me actually answering any of their inquiries. I try to move away, but Ryuk has his hand on me, preventing me from moving and I am curious as to why he does not want to leave here now. The creatures were beginning to insult him, saying that he is hardly a _Shinigami_ anymore now that he has a soft spot for humans, and that he will surely be punished for bringing me here.

"What's going on here?" asks a voice above the clamoring of the crowd. The others stop talking and move aside for a very spectacular _Shinigami_; he has a gold skull for a head and the skullcap is completely encrusted in beautiful gems. He is also wearing several bangles and other pieces of jewelry, though where he got them I doubt even he knows anymore. When he sees me his eyes widen and he looks to Ryuk. "What is the meaning of this, Ryuk? Do you know what you've done?"

"Calm down, Armonia Justin," says Ryuk with a wave of his hand. "I'm not breaking any rules that I'm aware of, the girl just wanted to meet our latest friend. I made a deal with her, so it's perfectly legitimate."

Armonia Justin looks me up and down, coming in far too close for my comfort before he backs away slowly, though his eyes are still on me. "Fine then, as long as the deal is legitimate," sighs Armonia Justin. "Just don't let it break or steal anything from here, otherwise we might have to kill it."

I want to protest to being called 'it' and for the creature implying that I am here to do them all harm, but Ryuk covers my mouth. Apparently this has been a huge gamble for him and if I do something to screw it up, I might get us both in a world of trouble, so I refrain from making any sort of scene and he releases me. Shortly after Armonia Justin leaves, the other _Shinigami_ disperse as well, possibly satisfied with their investigation and Ryuk starts pushing me in another direction.

"What was all that about?" I ask as Ryuk practically shoves me into a tunnel.

"Look Nori, I'm doing you a huge favor by bringing you here," snaps Ryuk and I can tell the normally easygoing _Shinigami_ is uncharacteristically on edge. "Humans aren't exactly allowed here, and it's because of our deal that I was even able to bring you here in the first place. Now let's meet this guy and get you out of here before I'm sent to the torture chamber."

While I am curious about this torture chamber, I refrain from asking him more about it, I am sure he would not tell me much about it anyway. I remain focused on getting out of the tunnel, or at least I try to be but I cannot shake the feeling of déjà vu that overwhelms me as we head further into the tunnel. I have seen this before, I know that much, though I never would have dreamed . . . my dream! This place, the _Shinigami_ Realm, is what I have been seeing in my dreams! Looking around I realize that this is the same tunnel from my dreams, almost too detailed for comfort and I know the shadowy figure will be waiting for me at the end; I break into a run, focused solely on discovering the source of my dreams. I hear Ryuk call for me to stop and wait for him, but I ignore him, there are answers here and I intend to uncover them.

I reach the end of the tunnel, which lets out onto a cave of sorts and in the light of the otherworldly sun, I can see a figure sitting on a small rock formation; his back is to me but I can tell it is another _Shinigami_. For a moment I hesitate, after the warm reception I received earlier I am unsure how this one will react to my presence, though I can hardly turn back now and this is the one Ryuk was talking about. I am just about to reach out to him when his head turns and he looks at me and I freeze; his face is an animal skull, and he has spiky brown hair tied up with what appears to be a red tie. He certainly seems more human than the others though that is not really saying much, and I half expect him to completely dismiss me, but I am wrong. Instead, the creature continues to turn to face me and I catch a glimpse of his form completely before he is shrouded in shadows; slowly the shadows begin to take shape though they look like a human man rather than a _Shinigami_. The mass of shadows reaches out to me with what looks like a hand and I know this, this happens in my dream only I wake up before I can touch the shadow; now waking up is not an option so I walk forward with my hand extended and lay mine on top of his. The moment we touch, the shadows recede in a flurry, revealing a very human hand holding mine.

"I knew it," says a male voice and I look up to see Light Yagami looking at me with immense interest. He looks like the picture hanging in my school, only a little older with some more mature features, yet there is no doubt in my mind that it really is him. "I knew it," he repeats almost as if he cannot believe what he is seeing.

I am almost too afraid to speak to him, after all this man is supposed to not only be dead but he is also Kira, so speaking candidly is not really an option. "Do you know who I am?" I ask after I work up the nerve.

Light smiles at me and I can see his eyes shining underneath his bangs. His appearance disturbs me greatly, he looks completely unharmed though I know he was shot five times and his clothes are as professional as any other man's; it is like he just stumbled into this world, instead of the reality of the situation. Not only that but I am struck by how much I resemble him, I never noticed before even after years of passing his picture, though now that I am looking at him I cannot deny our similar appearances. Our hair is the exact shade of brown, though mine is thicker but some of the strands fall in my face just like his, our faces are both narrow and our build is the same tall and willowy. There are some differences between us, for instance his eyes are darker and a little smaller than mine and I obviously have a few of my mother's features; other than those minor differences, I can tell that I am truly his daughter.

"Yes, I know who you are," he replies and he sounds almost triumphant. "You're my daughter by Misa."

"I'm impressed, honestly I didn't know you were my father until a little while ago," I say and watch his reaction, trying to gauge just how much he knows about me.

Light sighs slightly and releases my hand, though he does not move from his position. "I suppose that means Misa's dead then, after all she wouldn't let you forget who I am to you. I had thought . . . well, that doesn't matter now, Misa's probably been dead for a while if you're just now finding out about me."

I bite my lip against a smirk, he is very charming and is well aware of that, he is probably trying to get me to believe that he wanted to see my mother after all this time when I am sure he did not care about her; I saw the picture and read about his various relationships, my mother was a tool to him. _'I'm probably a tool to him as well,'_ I consider as I watch him pace in a small circle. _'No matter, this should be fun regardless.'_

"There you are, Nori!" says Ryuk with a wheeze and he seems out of breath oddly enough, though he can fly and likely did not need to physically exert himself. After a few moments of trying to catch his breath, he looks up at Light. "Hey Light, so what do you think of her?"

Light approaches me and cups my cheek; his skin is like ice against mine. "She's beautiful, like I knew she'd be, and I can tell she's very intelligent; I can see her mind working even now. I was right to have her, she's everything I had hoped she'd be."

Ryuk raises what could have been an eyebrow. "I thought you were hoping for a son, you know, someone who would be exactly like you. You said a daughter would be too emotional to do anything clearly, especially with Misa being the mother."

Something dark flashes across Light's face after Ryuk speaks, apparently the _Shinigami_ revealed a little more than Light had been wanting and when he is done scowling at Ryuk he looks at me with a peaceful smile. The way he is looking at me makes my skin crawl.

"So is Ryuk right?" I ask flatly, not about to reveal anything obvious to him. "Did you really want a son over a daughter?"

"Yes, that was my original plan," he says calmly but I can tell he is getting ready to start charming me, I can see the change in his face though it is subtle. "But now, I'm glad that you're the result, I couldn't imagine a more perfect child if I tried. From what I can tell you are more like me than Misa, you think with logic rather than emotion, which is key for surviving in the world. And you've been using the notebook that much I know."

"You seem to know a great deal for someone who's been dead for almost twenty years," I retort, not about to let him get the upper hand. "And something I find strange is Ryuk's comment about what you think of me. Have you been watching me from here? And more to the point, did you ask Ryuk to bring me the notebook? It seems very possible that in your mind I would be a perfect replacement for Kira so long as I exemplified your ideals or at least enough of them, furthermore it would be to your advantage to give me a notebook, especially if it was given by someone you consider an ally. None of the other _Shinigami_ trusts you, I assume, except for Ryuk so you instructed him to give me the notebook and to possess me for a time until you could do it yourself. Am I wrong?"

Light stares at me for a moment with a strange mix of awe and frustration, apparently he had been hoping for a different kind of conclusion or at least a different admission on his part. Now I know he has been manipulating this from the beginning, though it might go back even further if my hypothesis is correct. It is incredibly likely that he knew of my existence long before I arrived here, so he has been influencing events to work out in his favor so I will come into possession of the notebook and end up working with him. Light still wants to be Kira, but now he has to go through me in order to attain his goal. _'Well, I'm certainly not going to tell him I've figured out his plan,'_ I think smugly as Ryuk and Light have a staring contest of some sort.

"Ryuk and I are working together, yes," admits Light after a time. "I came across a second notebook and though I was now the new owner, I sublet it to Ryuk so he could also possess it. I asked him to take it to you after I informed him that his boredom would be eased once again and he agreed that was how you came into finding and owning the notebook. Since Ryuk and I both are owners of the Death Note, we can travel with you back to the human world."

_'I knew it,'_ I think with a small sigh. _'He's just using me as his way back to the human world and to being Kira once again, he doesn't care any more for me than anyone else has. I should have known better than to even consider anything else.'_ None of this I share with either of them, but I know what I have to do in order to have them both on my side, so to speak. "What do you plan on doing once you get to the human world?" I ask and he grins, obviously glad to have someone willing to play his game.

"I want to help you, Noriko," says Light casually and he touches my shoulder. "You have so much potential and with the notebook, you could be a goddess, and had I lived you would've been one. You would've lived with everyone bowing at your feet, nothing would have been denied to you, the world would have been yours to inherit. I can still give you that, if you'll take me on as an advisor. I know things about the notebook that Ryuk doesn't, I could be extremely helpful in conquering the world."

I almost tell him that I am hardly interested in being a goddess, that I am using the notebook to merely make the world safer not eradicate criminals from the face of the planet, but I decide against telling him. If Light really does know more about the notebook than Ryuk, then it would certainly be to my benefit to have him on my side, at least until he wears out his usefulness. There seems to be no downfall for me accepting his help, after all the worst he can do to me is killing me.


	10. Pawn

I hear someone knock at my door, I know whomever it is he is just knocking to be polite and will barge in no matter what I say, so I take my time as I lean back in my desk chair and mindlessly play with my pencil. "Come in," I say flatly.

The door opens to reveal L's assistant Watari, or at least the man who took over the role after the real Watari was killed. Watari is carrying a small tray with a covered dish and a file, two things I will probably be expected to at least look at though not necessarily find useful. He looks at me indifferently and I at him, our eyes meeting briefly before he puts the tray on the nearest table and then leaves the room. I slowly let out the breath I have been holding, allowing myself to relax just a little bit as I stand up and go over to the tray, knowing L is watching me on one of the 127 cameras placed on this floor. After a few days of living here, I have grown accustom to the presence of eyes on me at all times, though that hardly means I am pleased to have someone always watching my movements especially now.

"You'd think they would treat you above a caged animal," gripes Light as he stands beside me while I pick up the tray. "I swear, they're doing this on purpose."

'_It's not like I've been exactly warm and pleasant myself,'_ I consider as I set the tray at my desk, pulling the silver cover from the dish uncovering a delicious looking plate of _onigiri_ with a box of panda bear cookies on the side.

Light looks over my shoulder and sneers. "What? Do they think you're five or something?"

I discreetly glare at him, being careful not to show my face to any of the nearby cameras and he gets the message, sauntering over to the couch in the room where he sits down and watches me. I can feel his eyes on my back as I take a bite of the _onigiri_, it would seem that everyone's new hobby is to watch me while I try to live out my life with as much normalcy as I can scrape from the bottom of the barrel. Between my new living situation and my late father's presence as a _Shinigami_, I am barely able to keep my head at times.

"Perhaps you should read the file," suggests Light flippantly, obviously still unhappy about my previous treatment of him. "They're probably waiting for you to do that, so you might as well give in."

'_Really? Is that what that's for? I had no idea. Thank you, Light for your brilliant insight,'_ I think with a smirk. I pick up the file and put it on top of my open forensics book; opening it with the hand not currently holding my lunch I scan the lines of information as I sit down in my desk chair. The file contains basic information about the Kira cult I have always heard whispers about, no one could ever truly prove they existed but every so often a zealot would appear and claim to be part of the group. According to this file, the zealots would often commit a petty crime, one that would land them in jail for a few days or even a few hours and in that time they would end up killing one or two felony criminals in the name of Kira. Eventually the police learned to separate them from the general population and even have a specific room reserved for these people specifically. Most likely on L's orders, since they were often interrogated while in custody even though they never gave up any information and later committed suicide.

'_This is probably the case that L wants me to assist with,'_ I think as I flip through the mug shots of several self-proclaimed zealots. Their backgrounds are hardly those of petty thieves, several are prominent doctors, a few are lawyers, one is a judge, and a few are high-ranking political officials. They have families, come from excellent pedigrees, and up until their arrests have sparkling records. The idea of a cult is not too far off if it is able to convince these upstanding citizens to commit crimes they otherwise would not have done.

"Useless fools," scoffs Light from over my shoulder, causing me to jump a little since I did not hear him move. "I would never have asked these people to kill in my name, it makes them no better than the criminals they've killed. What idiot is spreading these ideals?"

'_That's for me to figure out,'_ I reason as I continue reading the sheets. _'And hopefully before you go and kill them all, Light.'_

"You know, despite their inept and clumsy actions, they could still be useful," says Light, putting a hand on my shoulder. "They are obviously dedicated to their cause, and seem to share my beliefs, all they need is a leader who could put them on the path to greatness. Should you locate them, you could insert yourself in their numbers and begin influencing things so they go our way. Our devoted followers shouldn't be allowed to wander blindly when their god and goddess are here to assist them in their endeavors."

I roll my eyes as he continues talking about how we can rebuild what he lost. _'I'll get right on that, and in the mean time, please elaborate on how I'm supposed to avoid constant surveillance and the fact L is watching me now.'_

Somehow I manage to tune him out and keep reading, honestly I am glad for the distraction, university is currently not as challenging as I had hoped it would be and I can hardly go and see my friends like I used to. The majority of their families believe me to be dead, so it would be rather strange for me to just show up and announce that it was all a lie, especially when they have all been invited to my funeral in a couple of days. Couple that with the fact I am always chaperoned by at least one of the SPK members and I will never have a social life again.

The file is certainly helpful, at least from a beginner's perspective, but from mine there are several details missing that would be incredibly useful in narrowing down a pool of possible suspects. For instance, how are they all connected? Is there some tragic backstory that links all of these suspected cult members or are they just acting on their own beliefs without any conspiracy? Were they aware that others would do the same thing or did one do it and the others copy? There are so many other questions that are not even looked at in this miserable excuse for a case file.

With a small sigh I close the file and put it aside, going back to eating my lunch and studying the basic forensic policies for my quiz on Monday, things I know by heart thanks to Matsuda but I have to occupy my time with something otherwise I might go crazy by dwelling on my current situation. I want my old life back: I want to be in my childhood room studying where I can hear Koji playing his games in the room across the hall, I want to have family dinners again instead of these impersonal visits by a man I do not know who only drops off food, and I want to come and go as I please without chaperones or cameras on me at all times. This constant feeling of having eyes on me makes my skin crawl and has me on edge constantly, perhaps Light is right when he says I am nothing more than a caged animal, something for them to observe and talk about. Maybe all of this restricted freedom makes me less of a human; then again I probably have always been less than human in the eyes of the Task Force and SPK, since I am after all the unholy spawn of the two Kiras.

"Noriko, could you please join us downstairs?" comes L's voice from my ceiling.

Managing not to throw something at the intercom I know is located above the couch Light was lounging on, I nod then stand up from my desk, closing my book then grabbing the box of cookies from the tray as I head out of my room. When I am out in the hall I open the box and toss a few cookies in my mouth as I walk to the elevator, careful not to look directly at the cameras I pass by, then enter the elevator. Using my access code to unlock the elevator's console, I press the button for the monitor room and breathe a small sigh as it moves to my destination. Light is standing beside me and I sneak a glance at him, every time I look at him I see another part of him that looks like me, this time it is the way his eyebrows are arched, last time it was how his ears are shaped. Sometimes I wonder if I am so much like him that I am nothing but his female reincarnation and that being able to speak with and see him is because I can contact my past incarnations; then I will catch a glimpse at what is different between us, our eyes for instance, and I cling to that fact above all others. Proof that I am me and not him completely, proof that some of my mother lives on inside me.

I arrive at the designated floor and step out, breezing past the security measures with just a quick swipe of a card L had given me on my first night then entering the room where the Task Force and SPK normally gathered. Thankfully they are not all staring at me when I enter, all seemingly otherwise occupied at their own stations including L and Raku. She and I are barely on speaking terms beyond the obligatory pleasantries we are expected to exchange when seeing each other, other than that we both avoid contact with the other. Although I have a sinking feeling that this is about to change.

"Good afternoon, Noriko," says L as he spins around in his chair so he is facing me, his knees tucked under his chin. "I trust you enjoyed the lunch Renaldo prepared for you?"

I manage a fake smile as I show him the box of cookies I am still eating from. "Indeed, he's a marvelous chef, although I'm sure the cookies were your idea."

"But of course," replies L as if this were an ordinary conversation. "You've been working so hard lately, I thought you deserved a little treat."

"Thank you, Ryuzaki," I say politely.

He smiles up at me and I can tell it is as fake as the one I gave him, though just as convincing to the untrained eye. "I hope you read the file that I sent up with your food as well."

"I did, and I must say, it was pretty interesting," I reply, knowing full well that we are ignoring the fact he was watching me while I read it. He is probably hoping that soon I will break and show how much I truly hate the fact I am being watched, which will only cause trouble for me if I do, as it would open the door for all sorts of questions and speculation on his part.

"Good," he says in a clipped tone. "As I'm sure you've concluded, our investigation concerns whether or not a cult dedicated to Kira actually exists or whether we are dealing with multiple extremists. Based on what you read, what conclusions have you drawn?"

"We're definitely dealing with a cult," I state without hesitation. Showing any sign of fear or uncertainty around L is something that could completely undermine my credibility, or so Light has told me. "The people who were arrested are intelligent people, typically unable to be influenced by anyone except those in a position of higher authority, or what they perceive as such. In order to manipulate these well-bred individuals into committing crimes they never would have in the first place, the leader of this cult must be very charismatic and in a position that allows him the luxury of not having his authority questioned. And he must work in the shadows as the existence of a Kira cult has never been absolutely proven, just assumed to exist since so many were devoted followers before his fall."

L looks at me with a very fleeting gleam of interest. "My thoughts exactly, we are dealing with someone who can sway the minds of intelligent men and women, in order to convince them to go against not only their better judgment but also that of their false god. The Kira I knew would never allow such people to be used like this, it would make them no better than the criminals they despise."

'_Well, I can see why Light lost to you and Mello,'_ I think, barely suppressing a laugh as I see Light itching for his notebook as he glares at L, something I have forbidden him from using on any of his former enemies. Light told me about his defeat the day we returned from the _Shinigami_ realm, revealing to me that the new L is actually a man named Near and that before he died a boy named Mello assisted Near in defeating Light. I have to continually remind myself that Near is L and that I must call him as such or 'Ryuzaki', since I am hardly privileged enough to know his true identity, although with my Eyes I can always learn.

"Which makes me wonder how this cult leader is carrying out these executions," I say, now falling into a zone of complete contemplation. "His followers must know that what they are doing defies Kira completely, and I'm sure they argue with their leader about Kira's ideologies, they aren't so stupid as to not question that much. No, there's something we're missing, something that motivates these people to kill in Kira's name."

"Again, I agree with you, Noriko," says L and he turns back around to his computer monitor, gesturing that I take up the one beside him, which I do without reservation. "We need to look deeper into these zealots before we can proceed with profiling their leader. Noriko, where do you suggest we start?"

I think about it for a moment, based on the evidence and profiles of the zealots, the only conclusion I can draw is that they all suffered some kind of tragedy that spurred on their strong ideals on justice. That would mean the people they killed in the prisons were either guilty of similar crimes or were the ones responsible for what happened to them. Immediately I begin searching the backgrounds of the zealots, ignoring the pointed looks from some of the investigators in the room especially from Raku, the only thing that matters to me right now is proving my usefulness to L. I search into the judge's background first, as he is the one that stands out the most to me since he is supposed to be half of the scale of justice. After a few minutes of digging, I find what I am looking for, the judge had a sister whom was brutally raped by some students and left for dead when she was fifteen; his victims were two of those boys accused of raping her, they were in prison on sexual assault charges. He committed suicide after being arrested.

I check into one of the doctors, the first one on the list, and discover that his son had been murdered in cold blood over a small disagreement with a gang member, apparently about who was next at the pool table. The man's son was impaled with a broken cue stick, and then left to bleed out on the floor while the gang played pool above him. The doctor killed a member of the same gang, though not the man involved with his son's death. He too committed suicide shortly after being incarcerated.

One of the lawyers on the list was arrested after setting an arsonist's home on fire, apparently he had done the same to her parents' house, which caused them both to develop severe lung problems and come out with third degree burns. Another lawyer at the same firm as the first was molested as a child and killed the man who did it; he later posted bail for the other lawyer then asked her to be his attorney on the case. They are both pending trial and refused to speak during their interrogations.

"What have you found?" asks L as he twists a piece of his white hair between his fingers.

"I think I've figured out how these people were convinced to kill," I say, pushing back from the monitor to show him what I have found. "It took me a moment, but I thought about what could possibly drive someone to kill, and then it dawned on me: revenge. So, going off that idea I searched into the backgrounds of some of the zealots on this list and found that so far, they have all had some kind of tragedy in their life brought about by a criminal. The judge's sister was gang raped, a doctor's son was murdered by a gang member, a lawyer's parents were badly injured by an arsonist, and another lawyer had been molested as a child."

Everyone in the room is now listening to me, having stopped in their tasks to hear what I have found on the new case. I see Matsuda sitting with his eyes directly on me, almost looking proud as I explain my theory to L, though Raku is shooting daggers at him not that he seems to notice.

"That's good," says Aizawa a little warily. "But how exactly does that correspond with the deaths?"

I turn back to my monitor and bring it up on one of the larger screens overhead. "It's because they all were given the opportunity to hurt the one who hurt them. Each of these people killed the person or persons responsible for their personal tragedy, or was given a surrogate that was somehow affiliated with the guilty party."

Matsuda looks incredibly impressed. "That makes our job easier doesn't it? All we have to do is look at people with tragedy in their past who also have an upstanding position in society then arrest them."

L shakes his head, his eyes still locked on the screen above. "That is not our first move in this case, we must first investigate these known zealots and figure out how they are all connected. If there is a common denominator then that is what we will investigate until another lead presents itself. Besides, we don't even know if all of these zealots were offered the same opportunity as the four Noriko investigated, we must investigate all of them before we can make a definitive conclusion regarding their motivations."

Aizawa nods. "Alright, I'll get people right on that. Ide, Mogi, you'll—"

"No," interrupts L. "I'll be assigning Noriko to this portion of the investigation, after all she is the one who found this connection to begin with."

"With all due respect, Ne—L," says Aizawa, almost revealing L's true identity, "this investigation was originally given to me, you were brought in for consultation only. Logically I should be the one making the call on who does what."

Despite the fact I hardly know L, I can tell that this small act of defiance on Aizawa's part does not make him happy in the slightest, though he is taking care to hide his true emotions. The moment Aizawa spoke I saw L's hunched shoulders stiffen, an indication to me that he is irritated. For a moment he reminds me of Parisa, they both have incredibly subtle tells that would otherwise go unnoticed to someone who does not actively look for such things in other people like I do.

"You're absolutely right, Mr. Aizawa," says L, twisting the piece of hair harder. "You were given command of this investigation and you did bring me in as a consultant rather than the primary detective. Ignoring the fact that involving me involves the SPK and that we have the legal authority to take over any Kira investigation, you do have the ability to give orders over mine. That being said, as your consultant, I would highly recommend that you utilize Noriko Yagami in this aspect of the case; she has already proven more valuable than ten regular detectives in less than twenty minutes of being involved in this investigation. If you wish to proceed with having Mr. Mogi and Mr. Ide investigate this angle, then by all means do so."

Light snorts behind me. "It would seem Near's only grown bolder these past years. And now he's put Aizawa in a difficult situation that will work out in his favor regardless: either you will be given a spot in the investigation by Aizawa directly or Near will come in and take over, since he has the authority. Regardless, you will be used by them, Noriko."

I cannot tell Light that I am thinking something similar for obvious reasons, but I had a feeling that this was going to happen sooner or later. Up until this moment, they were working together but now that the investigation has gained some kind of footing, a leader must be established and either way it will be L and his group of detectives, which now includes me. Although I want to be part of this, I do not want to be used as a pawn by some white haired man child that ruined my life, but right now I have no way of arguing with him. We have yet to institute some kind of rapport between us, so I cannot lean on him for a favor or express my dissatisfaction with this current state of affairs.

Aizawa's jaw twitches in irritation as he stares at both L and I, as if torn between looking like a puppet or incompetent. "Fine," he says at last. "We'll have Noriko look into these people's pasts, since she's done some of the work already. Noriko, you will work with Mogi."

I can hear Light laughing behind me and I bristle, I know exactly what Aizawa is trying to do and it will not work. He is trying to keep me under his thumb, exercising his control over the situation to show me that I have no bonds here, that no one cares for me beyond a tool to be used. Light and L are doing the same thing but at least with Light he is working towards freeing me from this prison, whereas L is trying to keep me here; I would rather work with L than with anyone from my past.

"Excuse me, but wouldn't it be best if I worked with L or one of the other SPK members?" I ask, trying to keep my voice calm. "I don't mean to question Mr. Mogi's abilities but he and I do have a history together, which might create a conflict of interest should we come across information implicating my father or mother in this case."

"Insolent brat!" snaps Raku, her dark blue eyes full of fire, as she marches up looks and down at me. "You are hardly in a position to be making any demands, direct or otherwise, you should be grateful for the opportunity to even be here. If it were up to me, you wouldn't be sitting here."

I remain incredibly calm as I deliver a cutting blow. "Considering how much you despise my very existence, Raku, I'm surprised you only made one attempt on my life." Her eyes widen in shock though she says nothing. "What? You really thought I didn't know what you were trying to do to me when I was six? I knew I was sick and that you were denying me treatment, and I'm sure you were doing it because Mr. Matsuda was out of the country at the time. Besides, my being here has nothing to do with your graciousness at letting me live; it was because L wanted me to be kept alive. You have no influence regarding whether I live or not, Raku, you never have; just like you have no authority here to tell me what I can and cannot do."

Raku looks as if someone has slapped her and she recoils away from me with disgust, retreating towards Matsuda, though I do not miss the fear that flickers in her eyes like a candle caught in a breeze. I look around at the others, they are exhibiting well-controlled expressions of fear, outwardly they appear surprised while their eyes and subtle body language betray their true emotions to me. Beside me Light grins wickedly, his eyes darting to each face in the room as if drinking in their fear in order to make himself stronger. Then he looks down at me, I can tell even without looking at him directly that his smile is kinder but his eyes still menacing.

"You've done well, Noriko," he says, caressing the top of my head with his fingertips. "Now, the battle is just beginning, you must earn Near's trust or at least gain a few freedoms from him. Just enough to allow you to have eyes on your current situation. Make me proud."

"Noriko, you'll work with me from now on," says L once he recovers from his mild shock. "That way we can avoid conflicts of any sort and work towards catching this cult once and for all."

"I agree," I say, my voice more hollow than I intended it to be. "The sooner we solve this the better."

Without another word everyone resumes working at their respective stations, L rolls his chair over to where I am working and together we meticulously comb through the first few names on the list of zealots. We look for any other possible connections between the judge, the doctor, and the two lawyers and find something of a web that links them all: the doctor treated the first lawyer's parents for their third degree burns and she later defended him in a malpractice suit, the judge was the one that had been assigned to that case, and the second lawyer is his son-in-law. While on the surface it appears conspiratorial, these connections mean we can narrow our search even further by looking at their social and professional circles, which sounds like a plethora of individuals to search through but it really is not. All we have to do is follow the trail of blood.

* * *

That night I lay on my bed reading a book from the headquarters' library, an Edgar Allan Poe novel, a particular favorite of mine and apparently one of Light's as well as he is pressed up against me reading as well. Every so often he will make a comment about a passage, about the content or hidden meaning, which intrigues me greatly and makes me wish for the chance to discuss it at length with him. Until now I had yet to meet anyone who shared similar taste to me in anything and the ironic twist is that I cannot talk to him at all about anything.

"God, isn't Poe brilliant? The way he weaves a story is simply incredible," says Light as I turn the page, the eagerness in his voice almost makes me forget that he is actually a _Shinigami_ and not my father sharing his thoughts on a mutual interest.

I simply nod, making sure not to make it look too out of the ordinary, when my phone vibrates beside me. With a few calculated gestures, I rest the book face up against my stomach as I reach for the small orange phone sitting just a few inches away from me; with a very controlled expression I open the phone and see a message from Parisa.

'_Look at this.'_ Is all it says, enclosing a link to a newspaper article from Great Britain. My fingers are trembling slightly as I open the link, when I read the headline I have to bite my cheek to keep from grinning, _'Convicted Serial Rapist Killed by Latest Victim After Attempted Assault.'_

'_This is excellent,'_ I think as I skim over the details of the article, knowing full well what actually happened to this felon. _'I was right to choose you . . . Parisa.'_


	11. Strategy

Light paces around the small study room, seemingly agitated or at least greatly annoyed by something I have yet to completely decipher, although I have a pretty good idea as to why he is so on edge. I glance over at Ryuk and Parisa, both of whom are watching Light's movements carefully as if expecting him to do something incredible at any moment.

"Light, this is ridiculous," I say finally, glancing over at the covered windows and closed door, making sure that whoever followed me to To-Oh's campus library is not around. "You called us here and now you aren't even saying anything, what is it that you want?"

He looks at me sharply, his eyes flashing dangerously at my impudence. "What I want, Noriko is to know what you end game is. Yes, I know you explained it to me before, but so far your moves have yet to coincide with your ultimate goal. How does Parisa fit into all of this?"

I smile slightly as I recall the day I asked Parisa to become the sixth Kira.

* * *

_My return from the Shinigami realm was slightly more terrifying than my departure, with Light having been the one to bring me back to my former home, he had waited until the last second to allow me to phase through the roof; I understood this to be a power move on his part, showing me that he was still in complete control of the situation, despite the circumstances. I remained silent as I gathered up some things from my room, which included my Death Note, and put them in my satchel. Before I returned to L's headquarters, there was some business I had to take care of and that could only be done with Matsuda acting as my chaperone._

'_Mr. Matsuda,' I called as I left my room, making sure it was closed. 'Mr. Matsuda, would it be all right if I went to see some of my friends and explain the situation to them? L said I could if I wanted.'_

_Matsuda came into view at the bottom of the stairs and Light growled low in his throat._

'_Sure,' replied Matsuda, his voice a cross between nervous and happy. 'Would you like me to come with you?'_

_I shook my head. 'No, if you're supposed to play the role of grieving father, then it would seem strange that you were going around with me when everyone assumes I'm dead. I don't want you to get in any further trouble with L than you probably are.'_

'_I see your point,' said Matsuda, somewhat defeated. 'The car crash story would be more believable if I remained at home while you went to your friends. Okay, I'll let you make the rounds, but just promise me that you won't reveal anything other than what is absolutely necessary. Just say that the news got it wrong or something, don't elaborate further than that.'_

'_I'm sure I'll come up with something to tell them,' I said pleasantly as I descended the stairs. 'I've still got some packing to do, but I can't focus on it while living with the knowledge that my friends think I'm dead; so after I'm done, I'll come straight back and finish packing. Is that all right?'_

_Matsuda considered my terms carefully, I could tell by the way his brow was furrowed that he was trying to come up with something else but was failing. 'Fine, that sounds good. Just make sure you're done packing before six, that's when I said I'd return you to headquarters.'_

_I nodded. 'I think I'll be done before then. Thank you, Mr. Matsuda.'_

_I made to move past him but he grabbed my hand gently, forcing me to turn around and look at him._

_His head was hung slightly and his voice was gentle as he spoke. 'Noriko, I want you to know that I meant what I said earlier, you are still my daughter. I raised you from the time you were newborn and I hope you can forgive me for what's happened to you now.'_

_His words touched my heart, breaking through the hardened exterior just enough to make me genuinely smile. 'I forgive you.'_

'_Thank you,' he said then released my hand, allowing me to leave the house alone while he waited for me to return._

'_I want to kill him,' said Light when we were out of the house. 'He's responsible for my death and for your imprisonment by Near.'_

_I shook my head adamantly. 'No, I forbid you to kill anyone related to L or the Task Force. If you do, then my identity as the new Kira would be revealed for sure and that would leave me in an even worse situation than I am in now. Oh, and thank you for telling me L's name, I appreciate it.'_

'_That's not his real name,' replied Light bitterly, 'it's just a pseudonym, all of L's successors had them as a means of protecting their identities from the world, not just Kira. Near and Mello were the ones in line for succeeding L after his death.'_

'_So what happened to Mello?' I asked as I rounded a corner on my way to Sanne's house. 'I mean, he obviously didn't become L if this man Near did.'_

_Light's jaw clenched. 'He died, one of my supporters killed him, but he's the one who brought about my downfall.'_

_Now this was surprising. 'How?' I asked._

'_The supporter whom killed him was captured first by him,' explained Light, though I could tell the memory was unpleasant. 'It was a trap designed to have another supporter of mine, the one who was killing at the time, make a mistake and unfortunately it worked. Using that trap, Mello was able to reveal to Near that my supporter was using a fake Death Note openly while the real one was hidden away. Once Near had this information, he swapped the real one with a fake and used that knowledge to bring me down. Ultimately I was defeated by Mello but Near was the one who delivered the killing blow, so to speak, at least until Matsuda unloaded his pistol into my body.'_

'_Ryuk mentioned that,' I said, glancing over at the second Shinigami. 'He also told me that you actually died because he killed you, as per the agreement between you two.'_

_By the look on Light's face, that was obviously something he was not aware of. 'You killed me, Ryuk? It was you?'_

_Ryuk simply shrugged. 'I told you at the beginning that I would be the one who killed you, Light, it seems you forgot that part of the deal. Besides, wasn't dying of a heart attack more pleasant than bleeding out?'_

_Light said nothing in response making Ryuk cackle madly and I just rolled my eyes, relieved when I saw Sanne's house coming into view, that is until I saw a familiar car parked just outside. With a slight frown and a heavy heart, I walked up to the house and saw that it was indeed Haluk's car, he was no doubt here "comforting" Sanne over their mutual loss although that would have made more sense if I had seen her car at his house. I looked up at the house and saw her normally opened window was shut and the curtains drawn, leaving me to come to my own conclusions regarding their current activities though I had a very good idea as to what they were doing. For a moment, I considered barging into the house and then going to her room, scarring both of them out of their minds but then I reconsidered; this actually made things easier for me, fewer loose ends to worry about in the long run._

_I looked again at Haluk's car and for a fleeting second thought about dismantling it in someway that would make it impossible to run again, but again I reconsidered; as angry and hurt as I was at their betrayal, I did not want to hurt either of them in any way. They had been my friends longer than this relationship had been going on and it was that fact that allowed me to walk away from them with some grace, despite the pain my heart felt. I could not even bring myself to wish them ill, even though I am sure I could have called down a number of creative curses on their heads; I wanted to be angrier, to hate them both, but instead I felt something more akin to grieving. My old life was dying all around me, as if I had actually been killed, and I was watching it happen firsthand. There was nothing I could do to ease that feeling because nothing would ever be the same if I interfered now, I would probably just muddle things further and there would be no clear distinction between my old and new life. Like Haluk and Sanne, I would have to move on with my life, leaving them behind completely although I was not above being petty if I saw them again in public. _

'_Come on,' I said to Ryuk and Light as I walked past Sanne's house. 'There's one more person we need to find before we go back.'_

_Light and Ryuk said nothing as we journeyed to Parisa's house, which was on the other side of the neighborhood, they did not say anything when we arrived either. I rang the doorbell, looking around at the flowerbeds while I waited for someone to answer the door, recalling that it had been Parisa, her mother, and I who planted those flowers when we were in middle school; I was a little surprised to see them doing so well after all these years. The door opened and to my surprise it was Parisa whom had answered, I was expecting one of her siblings._

'_I knew it,' she said quietly before pulling me inside. She did not give me a chance to say anything as she marched me up to her room, her grip like a vise around my wrist, and she did not let go until the door to her room was closed and locked._

'_Parisa, I—' I started but she interrupted._

'_I knew you weren't really dead,' she said, relief flooding her voice. 'When I saw that news report, I thought for a moment that it might be true, but then I saw the picture and I knew it wasn't you. The picture was supposed to look enough like you to convince others, but it wasn't you.'_

_For a few moments I was rendered utterly speechless, I had no idea that she could come to that conclusion on her own, but then again I had never considered that she would actually swallow that bait either. I had merely assumed that my friends would be skeptical of my death until they had actual confirmation._

'_You're right, obviously,' I said with a slight laugh. 'I'm not dead, nor was I in a car accident. Parisa, I've come to you because there's something I need you to do and you're the only person I can trust to carry it out.'_

_Parisa nodded firmly. 'I promise, Noriko, I won't fail you.'_

_I raised an eyebrow skeptically. 'Parisa, you don't even know what I'm asking, how can you so blindly agree to my request without asking first?'_

'_Because you are my Messiah,' replied Parisa and I wanted to run away. 'I knew it from the moment we met as children that you were going to be the one to deliver the world into a better state. You look just like Kira, there's no mistaking it.'_

'_How do you know what Kira looks like?' I asked, knowing that Light was never revealed to be Kira, unless . . ._

'_Prophetess Takada,' said Parisa and I heard Light groan. 'She let his name slip to one of her bodyguards and he told the others, we have always known Kira's face but we never speak his true name. You look a great deal like him, Nori.'_

'_There's a reason for that,' I said as calmly as I could manage, wondering if I had made a mistake in coming here in the first place. 'You see, Parisa, I am the daughter of Kira.'_

_Instantly Parisa was on her knees bowing to me, muttering what sounded like prayers of worship._

'_See?' said Light happily. 'This is how it was meant to be, Noriko. You were meant to be worshipped like the goddess you are, and your friend here knows it. If all goes according to plan, then you will have entire nations bowing down to you.'_

_I was not happy to hear that because right now what I wanted to focus on was why I came here in the first place, and this bowing was getting in the way. 'Parisa, get up.' She almost tripped over herself in the attempt. 'All right, now you know, but you have to keep it a secret and I mean you can't tell anyone. Not even other followers of Kira, do you understand?'_

_Parisa nodded. 'I understand perfectly, my goddess.'_

'_And you can't say stuff like that either,' I said, the request coming out more like a command. 'Listen Parisa, I need your help with continuing my father's work because right now I can't do it, I was before but the situation has changed. Do you understand what I'm asking?'_

'_I do,' said Parisa calmly. 'I am ready to accept Kira's Gift.'_

'_Close your eyes and hold out your hands,' I said then reached into my satchel, pulling out the Death Note, carefully I placed the notebook in her extended hands. 'Open your eyes and don't scream.'_

_Parisa did as I told her and when she opened her eyes, I could tell she wanted to scream but somehow she managed not to disobey me. 'What . . . what are they?'_

'_Shinigami,' I replied. 'The human looking one is Kira and the other is his friend, Ryuk.'_

'_I wouldn't exactly call us friends,' said Ryuk and Light rolled his eyes._

'_I am honored to meet you both,' said Parisa reverently, bowing at the waist. 'Kira, my merciful god, I am glad to see you have returned to us.'_

_Light stepped forward, obviously enjoying the accolade. 'And I am glad to be back among you. Now, my devoted servant, hear what my heir has to say for she is the key to a new world and you must assist her in this.'_

'_I will, Lord,' said Parisa, her eyes averted. 'Noriko, what is it you want me to do?'_

_I sat her down and explained everything I could to her, starting with my origins to finding the Death Note in the park and about my current situation with L. I told her how it works and what parameters she should set for herself when deciding who should die and who should live, telling her that killing with heart attacks would be too risky and to come up with more creative means of death. Then I handed her Matsuda's journal, which chronicled the events of the Kira investigation and would assist her in keeping a low profile as well as avoiding traps set by L or the Task Force. I glossed over how I found my father, saying instead that he was attached to the notebook so therefore he had to come to me eventually; she was a little disappointed when I told her Ryuk would be the Shinigami staying behind with her instead of Light but she understood the necessity._

_She seemed to understand everything very well, even the rules of the notebook such as that I was merely loaning it to her so she could use it the same as I could but I was still the rightful owner, I purposefully neglected to tell her about the Eye deal and I was not worried about Ryuk saying anything to her. If my understanding was correct, he could not reveal that deal to anyone except the true owner. I told her the targets would be criminals who were dangerous and still making the world dangerous even after paying their debt to society, I could tell that she did not completely agree with me on that but she did not protest my order. Overall, I had a feeling I had selected the right person for this task._

'_Why are you really doing this, Nori?' asked Parisa, now cradling the notebook as if it were her most treasured possession._

'_I'll reveal that in time,' I said firmly. 'Right now, all you have to worry about is making sure Kira's work continues while I'm indisposed. We'll have regular contact with each other; I've already been assured of that, so if you have any questions find a way to discreetly ask me and I'll probably answer. Now, is there anything you need to know right now?'_

_Parisa thought for a moment then shook her head. 'No, nothing right now. I'm just glad to be of assistance to you, Noriko and to my god. Don't worry, I won't fail you in this.'_

* * *

"She's the only person I can trust," I say readily, smiling over at her. "She's already proven herself as a capable Kira and has yet to betray us to anyone. I know I was right to trust her with this responsibility."

Parisa blushes slightly but keeps her eyes averted as Light stands in front of her.

"You're right, Noriko," says Light kindly though I can hear the poison in his honeyed words, "Parisa has proven herself capable, but I'm curious as to what you have planned for her and the rest of the world for that matter. As I said before, your moves don't exactly mirror your ultimate goal."

I shrug. "My ultimate goal is simple: make the world a safer place. My moves lately have been to ensure that if something happens to me, that goal can still be met even if I'm no longer in charge. I'm not going to go on the offensive yet, I see no pending reasons, so I will remain on the defensive and carefully plan out my next move."

"I hate to interrupt," says Parisa quietly as she stands up, her books in hand, "but my next class is in ten minutes and I don't want to be late and possibly rouse suspicion from Nori's chaperone. If you'll excuse me, come Mr. Ryuk."

She pauses for a moment to make sure she has her latest list of victims to be executed by Kira, a list I gave her when we first arrived here. Even though she is now doing the killings, she does not have the ability to gain the _Shinigami_ Eyes so I must still select the people to be judged by Kira and pass along the information to her. Rather than risk my laptop being raided, I do all of my research from the school computers, which have their hard drives wiped every time a student logs off from their homepage. I use my Eyes to find the real names of the criminals and write them in code for her to decipher later. Then she looks up the faces at her own discretion, at first I was worried about this since L could just check her home computer but she assured me she had something in place for this very situation. I did not ask any questions, instead deciding to believe her, something Light greatly disapproved of.

"Of course," I say, checking my watch. I have two hours before my next class so it will not look strange if Parisa leaves before I do. "See you later, Pari!"

"Bye, Nori!" she calls as she leaves, closing the door.

When we are alone, Light looks right at me.

"So tell me," he says, walking closer. "What exactly is your next move?"

* * *

The next morning it is raining hard and I find it completely appropriate since today is my funeral, or at least Noriko Matsuda's funeral. I dress in all black, making sure to put on the wig, hat, and sunglasses L provided me with in order to hide my hair and eyes so no one will recognize me when I go to the funeral home. Light watches me with mixed curiosity and annoyance, though I hardly care today, he has already made it abundantly clear that he disapproves of me attending the funeral but I know I have to go. Especially when L is being incredibly generous in allowing me this freedom, he probably thinks he has nothing to worry about since every member of the Task Force and Raku are going to be in attendance.

When I finish dressing I look in the mirror and sigh heavily, even with the countermeasures to preserve my identity I can still tell I am me and not some obscure mourner simply there out of human compassion. Then again the point is to make me look as inconspicuous as possible and I have to agree, that I would not look twice at someone like me unless I did something strange.

"Noriko, Watari's ready with the car," says L overhead and I nod, not even bothering to pretend that I do not know he can see me.

With as much grace and calm as I can muster, I head out of my room and towards the elevator, being careful not to make it obvious that someone is standing beside me as I enter the small enclosure. The ride down is as quiet as expected, Light just stands beside me with his arms crossed and a sour expression on his face and I am trying to keep myself from shaking. Finally we arrive on the designated floor and I exit, heading towards the main hub of the headquarters, the gateway to the rest of the world as far as I am concerned anyway. When I enter, L and Watari are there in the center of the room, the SPK members working diligently at their assigned stations, no one so much as looking up when I enter; not that it is a surprise that I am here or anything.

"Miss Yagami, are you ready?" asks Watari, who I now know is a man named Roger thanks to Light.

"Yes," I reply stiffly, masking exactly how nervous I am regarding this event.

"Remember Noriko," says L as he shuffles his deck of cards, one leg tucked under his chin as he balances himself in his chair, "you are not to speak to anyone, if you are in a situation where you must, use an accent and keep your sentences short and to the point. I cannot emphasize enough how liberal I am being with this outing of yours so I expect you to follow my rules to the letter, do you understand?"

"I understand, L," I say calmly, though inwardly I am fighting the urge to strangle him. "I appreciate your kindness immensely."

"This isn't out of kindness," says L simply, as expected. "I am doing this as a means of you gaining closure and acceptance that your past is dead and you can never go back to how things used to be."

'_As if living here with you wasn't proof of that already,'_ I think harshly as I watch him play with his deck of tarot cards, glaring at him slightly.

L hardly notices my minor change in expression. "From today on you will be forbidden contact with anyone from your past except for those members of the Task Force and the one person we have deemed acceptable, thanks mostly in part to Mr. Matsuda's insistence that you retain at least one friend. You will also answer to only Noriko Yagami, and freely acknowledge your status as a person of interest in all Kira related matters, should we accuse you of anything you are not allowed to argue but simply prove your innocence on your own."

"Yes, L," I say though I can feel the urge to kill him growing stronger with each passing second, Light's reactions to his conditions are not helping and I almost want to ask him to kill Near, consequences be damned.

"Also," continues L, figuratively putting another link in the chain he has imprisoned me with, "if deemed necessary, you will be moved from Japan to wherever I consider suitable. This will happen if you are proven to be involved with any Kira related activities, have broken any of the rules already established, become obstinate and rebellious, or if I feel like it. So far you have proven yourself useful to the investigation but that could change at any moment in time should you do anything I do not approve of; if this happens then the same rules from here will apply there, except you won't be allowed contact with anyone and will reside wherever I say until I say otherwise."

"Are you sure I haven't done something to displease you already, L?" I ask, barely keeping the malice out of my voice. "I mean, why would you tell me such a thing unless you planned on moving me soon?"

L shakes his head. "No, so far you have been fairly cooperative and reasonable. I am merely informing you of the consequences should you choose to behave any differently than you do presently. That being said, have you done something that would qualify as a reason to send you away from Japan?"

"If you only knew, Near," says Light with a cunning smirk.

"No, I was just inquiring," I say with a small smile. "It's difficult to tell with you whether or not I've done something you like or dislike."

L makes a small noise, almost sounding amused. "Trust me, Noriko, you will know if you have done something I dislike." There is a pause, his grey eyes searching my brown for any indication that I am scheming something, when he finds nothing he simply shrugs. "Now, if there's nothing else, I believe you have a funeral to get to. Watari, please escort Miss Yagami to the car."

"Of course, L," says Watari then he gestures for me to follow him. "This way, Miss Yagami."

I nod then follow Watari to an elevator I do not have access to, one that it seems only a select few have the privilege of using, and we step in the doors closing behind us. L's eyes are on me the entire time I can tell and only when the doors close do they stop following me.

* * *

The ride to the funeral home is silent, although I hardly expected it to be anything different, Watari never speaks to me beyond the customary pleasantries or unless he has to address me but it is always formal and impersonal. I have a sneaking suspicion that he blames me for the real Watari's death, or is at the very least, projecting his blame onto me since the real culprit is long since dead. I am nothing but a memento, a relic, of those past days and all I do is serve to remind them of all that they lost, all that they almost lost, and what they stand to lose now. Discreetly I glance over at Light, who is looking out of the window, and I wonder if to him I represent his continuity a chance for him to regain his godly status by using me to get it. I have never asked him what he really thinks when he looks at me, a large part of me does not want to know the answer to that question, that part of me would rather assume that he sees me as a true heir of Kira. The small part of me that wants to know wonders if he sees me as his daughter rather than his heir.

When we arrive, I am a little surprised to see so many people standing outside, for a moment I think that they are here for a different funeral but then I see a number of people I either knew well or was well acquainted with so I realize they are here for my funeral. As I exit the car I scan the crowd, looking at each face for a moment as I search for my former family and any of my other friends. I see Haluk and Sanne standing with their families, the two of them holding hands while talking with some mutual acquaintances from school, both of them looking somewhat happier than they should be for a somber occasion such as this. I move on and see Parisa standing alone with Ryuk, her family not in attendance but that hardly surprises me, her parents are prominent doctors in their fields and can hardly be bothered to attend something that does not directly affect them. Besides, they already know I am alive so it would be pointless for them to show up.

I want to call out to her and say something, but I know better than to do that, the Task Force members are already here and they probably know under what conditions I have been allowed to attend. Instead I turn my attention to Raku and Matsuda, they are speaking with a few family friends, both looking appropriately heartbroken though I can tell Raku is barely repressing a smile as she talks. Koji is looking at the ground, not really speaking to anyone and my heart breaks for him especially; I want to run over to him and hug him as tight as I can, telling him that everything is a lie and that I am alive. The only thing that keeps me rooted to the spot is L's threat that if I act defiant he will send me away from Japan and I will never be able to contact anyone again, at least this way I can still ask about Koji from time to time and with Parisa.

The funeral director comes out of the building and signals to everyone that the service is about to begin, so we file inside though I stay close to the back of the crowd, knowing if I get too close to someone they might recognize me. Then again, with this many people I might go completely unnoticed even if someone speaks to me. We are guided to the main room of the building where dozens of chairs have been arranged for the guests, I sit at the very back of the room and watch as others sit down closer to the closed casket. I have to give L some credit, having me die in a terrible car accident gives a proper excuse for a closed casket at the funeral when the tradition is to normally have it open. Plus I am sure there is a body in there that no one would recognize as actually being me.

Once everyone is seated the priest begins reciting meaningless prayers for the dead, thanks to Light and Ryuk I know that nothing waits for anyone after death no matter if they were good or evil; I consider these prayers to be more of a comfort for the living. While he chants, Matsuda, Raku, Koji, and his grandparents walk up to the casket with offerings of incense and some of the guests do the same but at a small alter placed just behind my former family's seats. I watch as Koji places his hand on the casket after dropping his offering and it takes everything in me not to shout out that I am here and not in that wooden box, even though we are not related by blood, to me he is still my little brother and I do not want him to suffer like this. Of everyone here, he hardly deserves this.

I watch as Haluk and Sanne follow behind some of the other mourners with their offerings, it almost makes me sick to watch them holding hands so openly and I can barely contain my rage at their brazenness. They should have shown me more respect and waited until after I am buried before announcing that they are a couple. Parisa is following them, a dark look on her face and I swear she is about to kill them with the notebook then and there even though I have forbidden her from killing anyone that is known to either of us. When they begin returning to their seats she knocks their offering from the shrine, stamping on it with her foot before placing her own in the center of the offering bowl. Someone behind her begins scolding her for her behavior but they quickly stop after Parisa speaks though I cannot hear exactly what she says, whatever it is clearly has the person rethinking his actions.

The priest finishes speaking just as everyone finds their way back to their seats, and four men who clearly work for the funeral home approach the casket, they pick it up and walk it out of the room to the crematorium. I know there will be at least a two hour period between now and the burial, what I do not know is what I am expected to do with myself during that time. That is when Matsuda stands up and addresses the crowd.

"During this time, we invite you to join us for a catered lunch," he says, his voice quivering as he speaks. "Once it and the . . . cremation are over, we will head to the cemetery. Please, enjoy your meal."

Everyone takes that as the cue to stand up and head back out to the waiting area where, as expected, are several long tables covered in plates of food. It does not take much coaxing for the masses to head over to the immense spread of food and start devouring it with incredible speed, I prepare a small plate for myself of fried rice and teriyaki chicken but I hardly have the stomach to eat more than a few bites. This whole situation seems too surreal to actually be happening yet at the same time I cannot deny it, the evidence is overwhelming and I find myself desperately wishing for the chance to wake up.

"A very convincing performance, don't you think?" asks Light as he points at Matsuda and Raku, who are receiving a number of condolences from several people. "Who knew that Matsuda could be such a talented actor?"

I say nothing but I do nod, not sure of what else to do in this situation. I can see Light's point though; both Raku and Matsuda are being very convincing in their portrayal of heartbroken parents even now, they are not having any trouble maintaining their characters despite the fact they know I am here and that they are lying to virtually everyone they ever knew. I have to admire that in them, they are certainly dedicated to their work.

"Excuse me," says Koji, startling me from my thoughts. "Who are you?"

"An acquaintance of Noriko's," I say, my voice slightly deeper than normal with a husky accent. "I vas new and she vas kind to me."

Koji nods absentmindedly. "She was a very kind person, that's something a lot of people remember about her. And smart too, smarter than anyone I knew. I thought she was the next Einstein or something." He pauses then looks up at me. "I consider myself the luckiest person here."

That surprises me. "Why?" I ask.

"Because no one here knew her like I did," he says with a small smile. "To everyone here she was either an acquaintance or a friend, but to me she was my one and only sister, my best friend. I got to see every side she had to offer, not just what she wanted people to see. She could be stubborn at times, or rather most of the time, and she was easily annoyed by people who weren't on her level; sometimes I felt like that was why she didn't want to hang out with me all that much."

'_That's not true, Koji! I was stupid and selfish and never thought that I would ever lose you!'_ I scream in my head, fighting back tears.

"But she was also really funny," says Koji, his smile widening. "One time she made our dad laugh so hard his drink came through his nose! I don't remember the joke anymore, but I remember how hard we all laughed, she even laughed so hard she fell over. And she was really kind to everyone, even when she didn't have to be, and she didn't get angry all that often."

"Why are you telling me this?" I ask, my accent thicker with my tears.

Koji shrugs. "I don't know, I guess because I don't have anyone else to tell this stuff to. My parents don't want to talk about Nori at all and my friends wouldn't care, but you seem different, like you want to know. Do you mind if I keep telling you about my sister?"

I shake my head then gesture to the seats behind us. "No, not at all."

Koji and I sit together and he continues telling me about the sister he knew.

"When our mom would leave for work, Nori would take care of me," he says, the slightest bit of happiness lacing his words. "She would make my meals and help me with my homework, and if she wasn't studying she would play Ping-Pong with me, she was really good at it. If she wanted, she could have been the all-time champ! Nori was good at other sports too, like cross-country and tennis but I can't do either of those, so she stuck to playing Ping-Pong with only me. I wasn't as good as she was, but she tried to teach me, and I think her lessons helped me a little . . . I wish I could play with her again."

I had to practically sit on my hands to keep myself from pulling him into a hug, my heart shattering into a million pieces with each caring and sweet word he spoke. "She sounds like a good sister. You must miss her."

Koji nods emphatically. "I do, she was the best sister anyone could ever want. I don't think she ever knew how amazing she really was; I mean other than breaking all kinds of records at school, which is pretty cool. Overall, she was a great sister and a wonderful human being, I'm really lucky to have had her as my sister at all but she was mine and no one else's. I hope God makes her an angel with a golden halo instead of a silver one."

"Why?" I ask, curious as to why he would say such a thing.

"To match her heart of gold," replies Koji without hesitation. "She was the best person in the entire world and now . . . the world seems darker with her gone. I want her to be happy wherever she is and to know that I love her with all my heart."

"I'm sure she knows," I say with a small smile. "I vould love to have you for a brother."

"Thanks," said Koji then he saw his grandparents waving at him. "Please excuse me, it's time to get my sister."

I nod and he leaves, following his family into the crematorium where they would pick up the ashes of some strange woman who he did not know and who would be buried with his sister's name. I wish I could have said something.

"I wonder if they'll ever tell him," says Light, whom had obviously been listening in on our conversation. "I mean they don't want their son to suffer, right? So why not tell him that his sister wasn't actually his sister?"

'_Because that might hurt him more than this,'_ I reply in my mind as I wipe a stray tear from my cheek. _'I wish I had been a better sister to him when I was his sister. He'll never know how much he actually meant to me or how proud I was to have him as my little brother, he'll live his life thinking that he didn't mean that much to me. I don't want him to think that, I want him to know how much I love him.'_

"May I have your attention please?" calls out Raku. "We are headed to the cemetery at this time, please follow us."

The crowd is on its feet and following behind Raku and Matsuda before I even have the chance to react, though I quickly fall in line with everyone else. The short walk from the funeral home to the cemetery behind it is mercifully quick as I find myself behind Sanne and Haluk, and Sanne's crocodile tears are believable enough that someone hands her a handkerchief. I manage to keep my head as we gather around the Matsuda family grave, there is already a freshly dug hole in the earth with my old name etched in the large stone above it. Koji accepts the urn from Matsuda and he turns to face the crowd.

"Today, we commend my sister, Noriko Matsuda, to Heaven," he says, his young voice clear and strong. "She was not with us long but she impacted each of our lives in different ways, and I hope she is looking down at us with a smile on her face." Koji then places the urn in the hole and two men from the funeral home begin filling it with earth, no one else speaks during this time.

When the men are finished, the crowd begins to depart, some head straight for their cars parked on the other side of the metal fence others stay for a moment to give a final condolence to my former family. Sanne and Haluk stay by the grave for a moment, Haluk reaches into his jacket pocket and produces a pink rose that is slightly wilted, he then leans down and puts it over the carving of my name. I watch him do this from my vantage point under an old tree and for a moment I remember what he meant to me and how I cared for him, until Sanne drags him away towards the gate. Matsuda puts an arm around Raku and Koji before he starts leading them towards the exit as well, his eyes briefly meeting mine as if to say he does notice my presence. I remain rooted to the spot and refuse to move until the last of the mourners departs the cemetery and only then do I have the courage to see my grave.

The stone is old and weathered, but the names of Matsuda's family are still clearly legible in the hard stone. I know the names by heart, having been to visit this place many times before; the top two are his grandparents who died when he was teenager, the two below that are his father and uncle, and below that are his mother and aunt's names. His uncle and aunt's names are both colored in with red to signify that they are still living but his parents' names are unmarked to show that they are both deceased. There are more names below theirs, names painted with red, except one. Mine.

There used to be red in the carving of my name but now there are only faint traces of the paint, showing that it was probably washed off very recently. I am the first to die since Matsuda's parents, though I was never truly a member of the family so it really does not count for much of anything. I stare at the carving; the only bare one in a sea of red, and feel myself shaking as a reach down to touch it, my fingers tracing the etchings of the characters that make up my name: _nori-law,rule_ and _ko-child_. Child of the law. How ironic it seems now when I know my parents were anything but lawful.

I look at the flowers that had been placed in the small cup above my name, most of them are white lilies but there are a few different ones like Haluk's pink rose and a very pretty violet that seemed to stand out among the paler flowers. Smiling slightly I touch the velvet petals and allow myself a moment to come to terms with my new reality, then I see something small and white wrapped around the stem of the violet. Quickly and subtly looking around to make sure no one is currently watching me besides Watari, I pull off the tiny piece of paper, unfurling it carefully so it does not seem obvious as to what I am doing. In tiny letters almost too small to read, I make out a message:

_Thursday at six._

Without so much as a change in expression, I release the tiny note from my fingers into the breeze then stand up with a smirk threatening to break free. _'It's time to make my next move,'_ I think wryly as I head over to where Watari is waiting, Light following behind with a knowing look. _'Now the game really begins.'_


	12. Blind

The library is loud and full of people as I make my way through, something that before I would have found irritating I now take solace in, as being in a building most hours of the day where silence is the norm is slowly eating away at my sanity. Today I sought the library for this purpose, to engulf myself in voices and the presence of human beings who can tolerate my existence for longer than a few seconds at a time. Being here is the only time I can find where I can unwind and act like myself without the scrutiny of investigators or the worship from Parisa. I find myself a computer at the back of one of the study floors and put my belongings on the desk before logging into the computer while Light takes up a seat beside me. I used to be worried about him sitting down in places in case he can leave a visible imprint but eventually I became more relaxed about it when no one said anything even when he would lie down in front of the cameras. Besides, being at the library when it is this crowded means I can talk to Light without it seeming strange, there are a number of people on conference calls and phones that enable me to blend in with relative ease, so long as I put ear buds in and my chaperone cannot get to a place where I am visible to him.

"I'm curious about something Noriko," says Light when he sees me put in my ear buds, taking that as the cue to speak. "How did you know that Near was indeed the third L? You told me that when you met you managed to throw him off a little by addressing him as the 'third L' but you never told me how you knew."

"I wrote a research paper on L when I was in high school," I reply as I begin typing on the computer. Normally I would be using this time to gather names for Parisa but she has yet to go through the complete list I gave her a few days ago so I focus instead on my upcoming literature assignment. "I noticed a pattern in the way he worked and began to see it change after a particular year. There were two changes between the year I know to be L's death and when the current L assumed control. The first change was likely you since you told me you took over for him after his death and the second was Near who took over after you died."

"What told you that there were changes?" asks Light, obviously displeased at the fact I had discovered the pattern.

I shrug as I scan a few promising articles. "Mostly the way you handled cases. L would focus on one in particular yes, but would also solve cases on the side during the same time. You broke this pattern and instead focused solely on the Kira case; Near has reverted back to the original L's pattern but he does seem to have a fixation on cases that could be Kira related. It almost seems like an unhealthy obsession."

Light snorts derisively. "That's an understatement whenever L is concerned. I never met a man who had so many quirks, and he actually believed they worked for him, that was the really weird thing."

I smile slightly. "What would he do?"

"Well, he always sat like this," says Light, demonstrating by moving so he is sitting crouched in the chair, his hands resting on his knees. "He thought if he didn't sit like this then his deductive skills would drop by an absurd percentage."

"What else would he do?" I ask, curious now. "I mean you were handcuffed to the man."

"Don't remind me," sighs Light as he resumes a normal sitting position. "Anyway, L would eat only sweets and sometimes fruit. And all his drinks were sweet depending on what they were; he never drank coffee only tea, into which he would dump almost an entire sugar bowl to sweeten it to his liking. He never held anything with his hands, just his index finger and thumb, and he ate the same way."

As I listen I am unable to determine whether he is remembering these things with bitter antipathy or with fondness, his body language says the former but his tone suggests the latter. "He sounds fascinating, I think I would have liked him."

"Well, he probably wouldn't have liked you, since he didn't like me," retorts Light and I regret ever having said that. "L was many things but friendly he was not, he used people until they could no longer be of use to him then replaced them with someone else that could be useful."

"That sounds like you," I say before I can stop myself. "Didn't you use Takada and Mikami for your own gain?"

Light glares at me from under his bangs but I do not flinch, perfectly used to his various ways of intimidation. "Try to remember that it's your father you're addressing and not an equal."

I try not to roll my eyes. "My father you may be but you aren't my dad."

"There isn't a difference," he argues.

"There is," I insist. "A father is the man who sired the child, in this case that would be you. A dad is the man who raised the child, in this case that would be Matsuda. And I am far more inclined to listen to my dad rather than my father."

I meant for the comment to put him in his place and it appears to have done the trick, even if just for a few minutes. "And regarding the original L," I say as if we had not derailed our conversation, "I think the reason he didn't like you was because the two of you were so similar. You were both incredibly intelligent and that probably caused some friction initially, even though you were both probably thrilled to meet an equal; neither of you was used to sharing that spot with anyone so you started fighting to be the superior. You both knew the games the other could play so you played mental chess with each other, trying to stay one step ahead just to keep pace with each other. The way you treated each other could have been misinterpreted as animosity but really, you were friends on some level and enjoyed the way you could interact without fear that you were going to fall behind the curve. It's very likely that you meant more to L than he would ever let on."

Light does not acknowledge my assessment but I can tell by the way his eyes soften just a fraction that my words found their way through his barriers, something I count as a minor victory. "I need you to check something for me," he says suddenly and I become a little nervous.

"What do you need?" I say, my fingers hovering above the keyboard.

"I need you to get some files for me from Near," replies Light with a slight smirk. "They're very important to me."

I try to keep my body relaxed, as I look him in the eye. "And what makes you think L will just give them over to me? It's not like I can say my dead _Shinigami_ father needs some light reading material."

"Well, it actually pertains to your investigation," says Light smoothly. "The files aren't really anything special, I just am curious as to whether or not they exist. You see, from the _Shinigami_ realm, I killed a number of death row inmates and those sentenced to life in prison; what I want to know is if Near is smart enough to look at these as Kira killings or as random deaths."

"Why did you do something like that?" I ask as I peruse an article about the piece I need to write about. I remember a few years ago that whenever an inmate would die, especially of a heart attack it was almost always thought to be a Kira killing. Sometimes the killings would only be mentioned in passing on the news or the reporters would go into deeper speculation, but there was always a mention of Kira even though they could never prove the deaths one way or another. Now I know that it was indeed Kira doing the killings, and it too makes me curious to know if L has put the pieces together.

"I needed to gain a longer lifespan," says Light with a shrug, as if killing all of those inmates was not that heinous of an act. "Plus it allowed me the opportunity of screwing with Near, that is if he ever figured out what I was doing. I'm sure you'll come up with a way of gaining access to those files, Noriko, I have faith in you."

'_That's hardly reassuring,'_ I think with a slight sigh as I turn on some music in order to drown him out as I turn my attention completely to my assignment. As scared as I am of being figured out by L, a small part of me is happy that Light asked for my help, even if it is just a small job.

* * *

Once my classes conclude for the day, I head over to the car L has so generously provided for me where Watari and my chaperone are waiting to personally escort me back to headquarters, if only to make sure I do not wander off suddenly and murder entire cities. Surprisingly, today Aizawa was my chaperone and he is sitting up front beside Watari, checking his voicemails as Watari drives us back. I try to appear at ease but every few seconds my eyes slide over to look at Light, he is sitting behind Aizawa, a thin smile across his lips as he watches.

'_Please don't do anything stupid,'_ is all I can hope for as I watch Light lean forward and pull on some of Aizawa's hair, causing the man to jump in surprise, instantly looking at me as if I can offer some kind of explanation. I merely shrug and try to look confused before returning my attention to the passing world just beyond the window. Light cackles before sitting back in his seat, he lifts his feet up so his knees are touching his chin and releases them into the back of Aizawa's seat, sending him forward to the point he almost hits his head against the dashboard.

"What the hell is going on?" he asks, bewildered. "Did you do something, Yagami?"

"How could I?" I ask, barely keeping the disdain out of my voice. "I'm sitting behind Watari, and it's not like I can move fast enough for you to not catch me."

Aizawa looks as if he wants to argue but decides against it. "Whatever, it was probably just a really bad pothole or something."

He then resumes his previous activity while Light glares harshly at him from his seat.

"Arrogant fool," says Light, his tone suddenly making me very afraid for Aizawa's safety. "How dare you speak to her that way! You knew perfectly well she couldn't have done anything yet you still accused her. It seems you've become paranoid Aizawa, good, I'm glad our last encounter left you that way. Maybe it will teach you to leave my daughter alone."

One word piques my interest. _'Daughter?'_ Usually whenever Light refers to me it is either by name, as a 'goddess,' or as his 'heir,' he has only ever once acknowledged me as his daughter and that was when I asked him in the _Shinigami_ realm if he knew who I was to him. I find it curious that he would say such a thing when lashing out at Aizawa, especially when he knows that Aizawa cannot hear him, then again it could just be for me to hear so I will curl up beside him and play his game the way he wants. I have not exactly been showing any sign of late that I am going to give him any control over this situation and that has to be driving him up the wall. While I want to pick apart every single reason Light might have used the word 'daughter' I restrain myself, knowing I will either be playing right into his hands or depress myself further.

When we arrive back at headquarters, I am quickly ushered to the main area where everyone is already working; right now it is mostly SPK members, the Task Force will be by when their work day has concluded. Aizawa probably volunteered to be my chaperone today since I had classes until noon and knew I would spend a majority of my time in the library. He moves quickly ahead of me, going straight to L, probably to report what he saw me doing and then leave to get back to his day job.

Watari takes my satchel and I head over to my work station near L, currently I am still investigating the links between the known Kira cultists and potential ones, so far there have not been anymore murders but that means nothing according to L. The cultists could strike at any moment and we have to be prepared for that, which means coming up with possible counterattacks and potentially discovering how to stop them before they can murder someone else. Thus far L and I have come up with a list of potential suspects based on the criteria we established early on: the cultists know each other, they are in high powered jobs, have tragedy in their past, and pillars of their communities. The list includes several of the country's top doctors, lawyers, politicians, and business men and for some strange reason I feel that by putting these individuals on the list we are staging a coup against them for crimes not yet committed. L says it is for the greater good but I do not see it as he does, perhaps my use of the notebook has clouded my reasoning?

"Hello Noriko," says L when I sit next to him, though Aizawa is still standing with him. "Did you get much done at the library?"

I nod as I log into the computer. "Yes, I finished my analysis of Hemingway's short story, _The Doctor and the Doctor's Wife_."

L nods casually. "What did you determine about the symbolism of the story?"

"Many things actually," I say as I bring up the lists of people we have looked into and those we have yet to investigate. "I thought the Native Americans asking the doctor where he stole the logs from was a callback to how the first settlers of America seemingly stole resources and nature from the natives then more or less made the natives work for the settlers. The doctor's reaction could be a testament to—"

"I'm sorry, L," interrupts Aizawa, "but there was something else I needed to tell you."

"Of course," says L calmly, making a sideways glance at me. "Please continue, Mr. Aizawa."

Aizawa stands a little taller and looks at me with a slightly smug expression. "On the way here, I experienced two strange incidents in the car. The first felt like someone was pulling my hair and the second was like someone kicked the back of my seat as hard as they could."

L does not show any sign of concern or surprise as he turns to me. "Do you know what might have caused this?"

"Not a clue," I reply as I feel Light's presence behind me. "I didn't realize that his hair had been pulled, and as for the seat I thought he already blamed that on a pothole. Really, I don't know why he's bothering you with something so irrelevant."

That is obviously not what Aizawa wanted me to say. "I think you do know what caused those things to happen but you're too proud to admit it! L, I am of the belief that Noriko somehow brought about those incidents."

"Do you have proof?" asks L, twisting a piece of hair around his finger.

"Well, no," says Aizawa slowly. "But she was the only one in the back of the car, so she had to know something."

L nods then looks over at Watari. "Watari, did you see Noriko doing anything to vex Mr. Aizawa?"

Watari looks up from the tea service and shakes his head. "I saw her do nothing, Ryuzaki. She stayed in the same position the entire ride back."

L merely shrugs and Aizawa looks like thunder as L turns his attention back to the investigator.

"It seems your suspicions are ill-founded," he says then spins around in his chair to face the computer monitor I am working at. "If that is all, Mr. Aizawa, you are free to return to the NPA."

Aizawa says nothing but I can tell he is storming out of the room, though no one else seems to notice or care all that much. I myself do not really care, he was trying to get me into trouble with L or at least throw suspicion on me, two things that right now I cannot allow to happen. Fortunately for me he made the mistake of accusing me of something that could be disproven rather quickly and by someone L trusts, making him look the fool and me the innocent party.

"This list is going to be extensive when we're done," I comment as I start trudging through the background information of a politician. He seems clean but I have learned that politicians are rather good at hiding their trauma and misdeeds if necessary in a sea of bureaucratic red herrings, forcing me to chase each one until I uncover what I am looking for.

"Yes, but it is a necessary piece of evidence," says L as he watches me type. "Without this list of potential suspects, we would be blind in this investigation."

"You know, I used to think that the possible Kira cult was just a bunch of activists," I say as I continue sorting through the various files on this politician. "Every few years whenever a criminal would get the justice he deserved they would be there screaming about Kira, and sure some of them would vandalize areas that represent the anti-Kira movement, but I never thought they would be dangerous."

"Until these murders happened, neither did I," says L and I do not ask whether he is being honest or lying, he could honestly be doing both at the same time. "I thought them to be just a thorn in the side of humanity, but I noticed after the murders they became bolder and more vocal. They began holding press conferences and accusing the media of slandering their false god's name. That is what prompted me to join the NPA in this investigation, since most of the outcry is coming from Japan."

I nod and force myself to look enlightened. "Now I feel kind of silly for not making that connection sooner, I just thought they liked the fact criminals were killing criminals, not that they were cheering on their own members to kill." In all honesty I never cared about the Kira cult members until I was forced to investigate them, to me they were just another group of sheep following something they thought would make their lives better.

"Don't feel too bad, the rest of the world doesn't even really know," says L as he twists the piece of hair between his fingers harder. "I think it would be safe to eliminate anyone on this list whom has been part of a scandal. It is unlikely that the cult would even welcome those that have been considered criminals by the public into their midst."

I run the filter on the files we have, using every word I can think of that is associated with 'scandal.' This eliminates about 30% of the original list and almost all of the politicians, this hardly surprises me since politicians would be too much in the public eye to keep something like belonging to a cult a secret. "That certainly narrows things down," I remark as I select a new target to investigate. I feel more than see Light's eyes boring into my head and I know what he wants me to do though I am a littler nervous to try. "Hey L, do you think the murders we know about are the only ones?"

This seems to intrigue L. "What do you mean?"

"I mean it seems strange that these people just now started murdering," I say smoothly. "Sure the cult has been vocal long before now but it's just weird to me that they would suddenly start killing seemingly without reason."

"I see your point," says L placidly. "Do you think other similar murders have happened in the past and we merely looked over them?"

"Not necessarily," I say, selecting my next words carefully. "I think you looked into them but didn't make the same connections you have now. If my reasoning is correct, the cult has been killing long before now but being more selective and careful about who and when they kill. Murder doesn't just happen, there's a progression in crime normally before this kind of step is taken and it's hard to believe that the cult went from vandalism straight to murder."

L seems to mull over my suggestion somewhat seriously before answering. "That is an interesting hypothesis, and over the years there have been a number of unexplained deaths that could be linked to the cult." He then looks over at one of the SPK members. "Givanni, work with Lidner and gather up every death under suspicious circumstances in the last eighteen years. Noriko has brought it to my attention that we might have overlooked a possible spree of killings done by the Kira cult."

Givanni nods then heads over to where Lidner is working; the two of them immediately going about the task L has given them. He then returns his attention back to me. "Noriko, you are excused for the time being. You may leave to do your homework and prepare for you visit to your friend Parisa's house."

I nod then log out of the computer before standing. "Thank you, L." I then head out of the room towards the elevator, releasing the breath I had been holding. _'There, you've done it,'_ I think as I chance a look at Light. _'You've put yourself in a potentially incriminating situation and came out alive.'_

"I knew you could do it," says Light, sounding triumphant while I try to maintain my composure.

* * *

Watari drops me off later that night at the corner of Parisa's street, driving away to try and divert attention from the fact that he is going to be dropping off Matsuda at some undisclosed location so he can keep an eye on me. I do not really care that he is going to be someplace keeping an eye on my location; L and the others think I am going to be studying with Parisa when actually we are going to be attending the Kira cult meeting she told me about covertly at the funeral. Matsuda will probably be hiding someplace that requires him being without a vehicle which means he cannot pursue me until it is much too late and even if he does follow us, Parisa told me that the cult has ways of figuring out who belongs there and who does not. If Matsuda gets in then they will present a cover story to him about what is going on at the meeting place.

I reach Parisa's house without incident and knock on the door, moments later it swings open and I see her little sister Hiromi in the doorway. She smiles at me as she stands aside to let me in and I smile back at her as she closes the door behind me, I take off my shoes and she stands close to my side.

"You're coming with us right?" she asks, seemingly eager to have me along.

"Yes, I am," I reply and I cannot help but wonder if Parisa let my identity slip to her family, after all that would explain why Hiromi is looking at me like a celebrity. "Where's Parisa?"

"She's upstairs," replies Hiromi quickly. "She said she's doing important work for you and cannot be disturbed until we leave."

'_Looks like Parisa isn't such a great secret-keeper after all,'_ I think with a frown. "Hiromi, has Parisa said anything to you about me recently?"

Hiromi seems torn between answering me and keeping her sister safe, but ultimately she breaks. "Yes, she said you are our Messiah. And that you gave her Kira's Gift."

Now I am scared, maybe going to this meeting was a bad idea after all and I should just leave while I still have the chance. "Do your parents know?"

"Yes," she says without hesitation. "Parisa told all of us but she made us swear on our souls not to tell anyone else. Our parents agreed, I think they want to keep the fact they have Kira's blessing a secret until they can use it to their advantage. That means we get you and Kira all to ourselves." She then looks at where I know Light is standing and bows deeply.

Light glares at me harshly and I can tell he is thinking of numerous things to throw at me later when we are alone and he cannot be seen or heard. I am probably already thinking of most of them already as I watch Hiromi continually bow at Light, then as her other siblings enter the room they do the same thing. When Mr. and Mrs. Saito come in they walk past their children and get on their knees in front of Light and I, bowing with their heads on the floor before they kiss our feet something that unsettles me greatly.

"Our beloved Lord," says Mr. Saito, sitting up though he keeps his eyes averted as he addresses Light. "We are most honored that you have favored our family above all others, our daughter works tirelessly to do as our Messiah has instructed her. Please do not be angry with her for telling us, for she has been taught all of her life that if she received a blessing from you then she must inform us so we may pay proper tribute and thank you."

Hearing someone properly worshipping him seems to ease the anger from Light's face and he kneels down, putting a hand on Mr. Saito's shoulder. "You may rise, my child, you have no need to fear retribution from me." Mr. Saito tries to stand up with as much dignity as he can muster but he seems eager to please his god. "You have raised your daughter well if she is willing to divulge to you the fact that I am among you and that Noriko has chosen to favor your family by asking her to smite criminals in my name. I could not have wished for a more devoted family and when my time comes again, you will be shown every favor for what you have done for me."

Mr. Saito has tears in his eyes when Light is done speaking and seems truly enraptured by his presence. "Lord, would you mind bestowing blessings on my children so that they may continue to grow in your teachings and become worthy of living in your world?"

'_Nice ego stroking, Saito,'_ I think bitterly as I watch Light walk among Parisa's siblings, touching each one and saying something kind that could have been a blessing or a curse depending on who was asked. The way he interacts with them almost has me convinced that he could be a benevolent god, one that could lead people into a world without sin but I know better, he is playing them, reinforcing their beliefs so they will continue to follow him; although now that they have his personal favor, they will be even more willing to help. I feel a little guilty now for having involved Parisa in the first place.

Suddenly Parisa comes down the stairs and when Light sees her, he is by her side almost immediately, taking her hand in his then placing a hand on her head in a fatherly sort of way. I can tell what he is doing as he speaks fondly of her, telling her that he appreciates all she is doing and that she will be rewarded soon, he is trying to sow jealousy in me. Some baser part of me is falling for it, becoming consumed with jealousy and rage as I watch him treat Parisa in a way he will likely never treat me. The rest of me is watching him with disgust, revolted by the idea that he is trying to use my emotions against me because he thinks compared to him I am weak and easily manipulated. _'I might be Misa's daughter but I'm yours too,'_ I think callously as everyone stands up and we proceed out to the car.

I sit in the far back, away from the rest of Parisa's family but she sits in the back with me, with Light between us and she seems to be glowing at being so close to her god. As we drive away, Light seems to be relishing the attention of all eyes being on him and tries to hold my hand, as if showing everyone that the god and Messiah are equals in this but I tactfully pull my hand away, my gaze still focused out the window. I do not even try to look and see what his expression is though I have a pretty good idea it is a well-constructed mask of hurt and confusion. He never cared to touch me before and if he did it was to exert some kind of control over me, and I am not in the mood to humor him right now.

When Mr. Saito parks the car I am initially very confused, we have pulled up to a middle school, I know it is the one where Hiromi and some of the other siblings attend but I thought we were going to the cult meeting not a PTA meeting. The more I think about it, I begin to realize that this _is_ the cult meeting. They are using PTA meetings as their cover so no one will be suspicious of all of these people gathering in one area. I can see the simple brilliance in this disguise, which is probably why L and the SPK have yet to discover their meeting location.

I follow Parisa and her family inside the school, standing in line behind what I can safely assume are other members of the Kira cult, beside me Light looks on in wonder at the number of people gathered to worship in his name. I cannot tell if he is awestruck by the fact so many still worship him or that they were so clever as to come up with a way of hiding their worship in plain sight. The line progresses and I can see a woman with a clipboard speaking with everyone who is trying to enter the auditorium, she seems perfectly calm as she stands there permitting people inside, when it is our turn she looks at me and frowns.

"Mr. Saito, I didn't know you were bringing a guest," she says pleasantly though I can tell she is ready to kick me out.

"She's a good friend of my eldest daughter," replies Mr. Saito somewhat sternly. "And a dedicated student, I thought she might benefit from the enlightenment of our meetings."

Realization seems to dawn on the woman and she is quick to recover. "I see, well did you get this week's bulletin?"

Mr. Saito nods. "Yes I did and we look forward to hearing Lind L. Tailor speak tonight."

The woman smiles as she writes something on her clipboard then allows us to enter the auditorium without further question, and as I pass her she seems nervous and I wonder if someone in Parisa's family let it slip who I really am to the cult. Then again she could be worried that I am a recent convert and might be a spy for the police, if I had come alone then that would be a reasonable conclusion but since I came with a family there is less reason to suspect. We find a row of seats and everyone is quick to take one, though there is some silent argument about who gets to sit with me and Light, ultimately it is Parisa who gets the chair beside me while Light sits at the very end with me beside him. I understand why I must sit with him and why he has to sit at the end but in all fairness I wished he could have sat with someone else, if this meeting went badly I did not want to be the one seen fighting to make him sit down and put his Death Note away.

No one is really speaking save for whispers as more families file into the auditorium, I turn my head and start looking at the various faces that are now filling the rows of seats wondering if I know anyone here. It turns out I know more than I would have assumed. There are several older teenagers present whom I either know by name or by face from my high school; people I would not have ever suspected were part of the Kira cult. Some of the other families present I recognize by reputation, not just because they are well known in the community but also because I read about them on L's database of possible Kira cult members. I smirk to myself, without even knowing it I found some of the people who actually are part of the cult.

I am not even remotely surprised when I see one of my former teachers, Mr. Irie walking into the room with his fiancée, I had already figured out he was a Kira worshipper but this does complicate things since he probably assumes I died in that car crash a week or so ago. Fortunately for me he does not come over to where we are sitting, instead he passes us completely in favor of a seat at the very front, his fiancée does give Mrs. Saito a fleeting smile when she sees her. There are more people I recognize from seeing them at various school functions most of my life and it becomes overwhelmingly obvious to me that Raku and Matsuda sent Koji and I to a school where most of the student body constituted the second generation of Kira cultists. _'I doubt they knew,'_ I think as I turn my attention back to the front of the auditorium where the principal is now standing at the podium on stage. The crowd becomes quiet when they see him on the stage.

"Kira's blessings on you," he says.

"And also on you," replies the audience.

"I'm pleased to see that so many were able to make it," continues the principal. "I was afraid after the loss of Brother Ryo, many of you would be too afraid to return." He then smiles kindly at the crowd. "He is with Kira now, waiting for the Heralding of the Second Coming when our beloved god returns to us once again."

I lean in close to Parisa so no one can see me speaking. "Who was Brother Ryo?"

"A man who was killed after doing Kira's work," replies Parisa then she turns her attention to the principal.

'_I thought his name sounded familiar, he was the doctor who killed a member of the gang that killed his son,'_ I realize as I too look back at the stage. It would seem that these meetings do not happen every week but rather every month, which makes sense since Ryo died almost five weeks ago after what he did. The principal continues speaking about keeping faith in Kira and making sure to remain steadfast in the belief that he is coming back before he introduces someone else and the entire room stands up as a new man walks on stage.

"It's our prophet, Osamu Kagami," explains Parisa quietly. "He who will guide us to Kira."

I look up at the stage almost in disbelief, Osamu Kagami is the current CEO and President of Yotsuba Industries, the most important corporation in all of Japan. Immediately everything I know about him comes racing to the forefront of my mind to try and make sense of this startling revelation: he takes a great interest in schools, often donates a great deal of money to many of the schools in the area especially Daikoku Private Academy where he went to school and I did as well, he became the youngest business man ever to become CEO of any company and dedicated his success to the work and moral ethic instilled in him by his cousin. _'His cousin?'_ I wonder as we sit down. I try to remember if he ever mentioned his cousin by name in any interview or article written about him; there was one instance shortly after he took over Yotsuba that a reporter asked about what drove him to achieving so much in such little time. He had replied that growing up he lived with an older cousin whom he thought of as an older brother, and he was the one who encouraged him to pursue his dreams and taught him what was right and what was wrong in the world. _'What the hell was his name?'_ I think angrily.

"May Kira be with you," says Kagami, holding out his hands like he is a true priest.

"And always with you," replies the crowd.

"Good evening, my children," says Kagami looking out at the crowd. "I am glad to be back in the flock of the faithful, instead of among the ignorant and blind, who treat our god as if he were a bad dream they hope never to have again. But our lord Kira is among us! He is still with us despite what the world wants to believe and it is up to us to continue his work and teachings. While our god slumbers we must take what he has left us and allow it to shape our everyday lives, letting him be our guiding light in this dark world. We must think about what Kira would want us to do then of our own accord, turn those thoughts into action. Kira may have shown us a better world but it is our responsibility to make it ideal, to fill it with people who are productive and can think on their own, mindless sheep will not be of use to Kira."

"It's like listening to Mikami," sighs Light, crossing his arms. "Whoever this guy is, he obviously paid attention during Mikami's time as Kira."

The mention of the name _'Mikami'_ stirs something in my mind. _'That's Kagami's cousin! I remember now, he mentioned him in passing but that was definitely the name!'_ I realize. Teru Mikami, the fourth Kira and the one who was used by Near to bring down Light. It is rather amusing that his cousin, his protégé in a sense, went on to continue his work in the name of the god they worshipped. I am sure Light will determine a kind of connection between the two soon enough if I do not tell him before.

* * *

The sermon continues for another hour before someone begins playing music, at which time everyone in the room bows their heads for what appears to be a time for meditation and prayer. I follow along but do not pray nor do I meditate, rather I try to make sense of how I can use what I have learned at this meeting to my full advantage; knowing the connection between the cult's prophet and a former Kira is a good start but that still does not explain how or why for that matter these followers are slowly being gotten rid of in the name of their god. To me it seems a rather counterproductive practice to sacrifice one of the cultists for one criminal, then again the people being selected to carry out these assignments could be guilty of sins themselves.

Ryo had been sued for malpractice, he misdiagnosed someone and they died as a result. The judge had been found in a compromising situation with a young girl and used his influence to cover up the incident and paid off her family. What they did must have been seen as unforgivable in the eyes of the prophet and he gave them a chance for redemption, or what seemed like redemption cleverly disguised as ridding the world of two criminals at once while purifying the cult of its bad blood. Of the two lawyers, the female one had recently been found guilty of her crime and sentenced to death. She had defended Ryo during his malpractice suit and later during the wrongful death trial, she got him off in both cases, and in a group where it is of the belief that criminals should not get away with their crimes, she was deemed guilty by association. The second lawyer was given a lighter sentence of voluntary manslaughter, when a psychiatrist had him declared insane as a result of his abuse. He was given 1 year in prison and mandatory counseling to help him overcome his trauma. Although just a few days into his prison sentence, he was found hanging in his cell and his cellmate confirmed it was a planned suicide. It came out later that he and the other attorney were both married and had been having an affair for over five years.

'_It probably wasn't a planned suicide,'_ I consider. _'Someone must have assisted him in his death, because nothing else he had done makes sense. Why would he get ready for a trial and go through all of that just to kill himself in the end? No, it is very likely that someone on the inside killed him or he was instructed to in order to protect his family's reputation. That didn't do him much good, since the news of the affair came out the same day of his death.'_

The music ends and everyone raises their heads to face Kagami once again.

"My sons and daughters," he says, his voice booming, "it is time once again for the Chosen to go out into this world and seek redemption for their sins. Those who are the Chosen are sinners themselves and must atone by washing in the blood of another sinner, only then can they be purified and see the light of Kira's path. You know who you are, and if you wish to walk this path of redemption please step forward and be recognized."

Suddenly several people are rushing the stage, all clamoring for Kagami's attention before he stretches out his hands and silence descends once again.

"I am so glad many have been moved for the chance of redemption," says Kagami fondly as he looks at the crowd of a dozen at his feet. "I will speak with each of you individually and determine which of you is truly ready to walk this path. If you are not among the Chosen this time, take it as a sign from Kira that your sins are forgivable and in time you will find absolution. We conclude the service as we always do, with a prayer to Kira to come back to us soon and lead the faithful and righteous to the world he envisioned!"

"Kira, guide us so that we may walk with you into the New World," says the crowd solemnly. Then once they have finished reciting the line, everyone begins to disperse, some stay to mingle while others head for the exit but not before putting a small offering in a box near the doors.

"What did you think, Nori?" asks Parisa as we hang around a table while her family mingles with some of the other cultists. "Wasn't it incredible?"

I smile serenely. "Indeed it was, Pari, I have never seen so many people come together over a common belief where they are the minority. It shows just how much power Kira had over their hearts and souls if they are willing to break away from societal norms and embrace his light."

It is a blatant lie but it seems to convince Parisa as she looks up adoringly at Light as if silently asking for his take on the service.

"I must agree with Noriko," says Light as kindly as a snake. "I had no idea that Kira had inspired such faith in people, to be honest, I thought it would be fear that ruled them. To see so many gathered in my name is humbling and I look forward to the day when I can be among my followers again."

Parisa looks as if she is going to faint from sheer bliss and she moves hurriedly away from us, probably to relay to her family what we have said about the service.

"You're a good liar," says Light when we are alone. "I could tell you didn't think much of the service or the so-called prophet."

"You know he was Mikami's cousin, right?" I ask, watching his expression change just slightly telling me that he had not figured that out. "It seems your former follower managed to leave a legacy of his own in Kagami, one that influenced him to become a murderer anyhow."

Light nods. "Yes, it would seem that Kagami is knowingly leading these people to their deaths as a way of cleaning up his flock so only the pure and sinless remain. I can see the logic behind his actions, but they are reckless and soon enough others will catch onto what he is doing and will turn people away from Kira. He has to be stopped otherwise no one will follow Kira."

'_Glad you have your priorities straight,'_ I think, rolling my eyes slightly as I wander back to where Parisa's family is standing, waiting for me. I force a smile, knowing that anything less will make them ask questions and I am not about to reveal to them my suspicions that Kagami is a well disguised serial killer. As we head out to the car I cannot help but wonder what it is about Kira that brings out the absolute worst in people and inspires others to follow him so blindly?


	13. Cracks

**A/N: There's been a bit of a time skip, just to warn you. Enjoy!**

* * *

_I sat at the computer and scrolled through the list of names that we had accumulated as possible Kira cultists, just by looking at their pictures I knew we found some actual members but many were not present. I wanted to connect these people to Kagami before they could strike again and lose their lives, but that was impossible. The filter L had me put on the list was probably eliminating some of the people I did see at the meeting, including those who went up to speak with Kagami at the end of the service, so taking a deep breath I took the filter off of the list. This brought back many candidates and among them were most of the people I saw going up to "repent" their sins._

_L looked over at me and I could see him frowning in my peripheral vision. 'What are you doing?' he asked, looking at the list. 'I thought I told you to eliminate anyone connected to a scandal.'_

'_You did, but I think it was a mistake,' I replied calmly. 'I was looking into the other cultists and each of them had some kind of scandal to their name, so I thought it was premature to get rid of others like them. If anything, they make more sense as possible killers for Kira, because they could see that killing the cause of their pain as a way of being redeemed for any other sins they may have done. Committing suicide after the fact might just be a way of showing that they feel worthy enough to be with their so-called god.'_

'_You know, it kind of makes sense to send them in to do the dirty work,' said Matsuda, coming over to where I was sitting. 'Why waste people who have likely shown devotion to Kira from the beginning? The cult might be trying to get rid of the people they don't see as worthy of being in their group, leaving the ones who are actually loyal to welcome Kira back.'_

_Aizawa nodded. 'I have to agree with Matsuda's deduction and Noriko's, there are always going to be people in religion that frankly are unrepentant sinners and it would be in the cult's best interest to get rid of these people. Doing so with them doing Kira's work is a great way of exploiting them.'_

'_That's ludicrous,' said L sternly. 'Kira would never welcome sinners into his cult and neither would those following him now.'_

'_L, everyone has sinned at some point in their life,' I argued, though I knew it was pointless. 'According to some religions, we were born with sin. To say that everyone in Kira's cult is pure is the more ludicrous statement, I mean, how can anyone who worships a serial killer be considered pure?'_

'_Nori has a point,' said Matsuda, putting his hand briefly on my shoulder. 'So, we should probably go back to the original list and start searching the people we skipped.'_

'_Sounds good to me,' said Aizawa, looking at me for a moment. 'Noriko, would you mind restoring the list and searching the lives of the people that we left out before?'_

_I shook my head. 'I wouldn't mind at all, Aizawa. I've already restored the list, I'll get started combing through their lives as soon as L's ready.'_

'_Good,' said Aizawa, turning back to his workstation. 'Now, we can—'_

_A loud sound echoed through the room, something sharp stung my cheek and it took me a moment to realize that L had struck me across the face. I saw his hand raised for a moment before he put it down, looking at me as if what he had done was perfectly normal and acceptable behavior for someone. I put a hand to my cheek, the flesh felt warmer than usual and I could taste the metallic bite of blood in my mouth._

'_Near, what the hell?!' shouted Matsuda as he came between us, probably anticipating retaliation on my part and wanted to prevent it. 'You just can't hit her!'_

'_I can and I did,' said L simply. 'She disobeyed me and had to be disciplined, something it seems you and Raku neglected to do when you were raising her, Matsuda.'_

_Matsuda seemed to ignore him as he turned his attention to me, looking like the father I always knew him to be rather than the monster I was trying to make him out to be. 'Oh Nori, I'm so sorry.' He knelt down in front of me and touched where L had slapped me. 'Damn, it's going to leave a mark, there might be some bruising too.'_

'_I'm fine,' I mumbled, still somewhat in shock over the whole ordeal. I saw his eyes widen and he wiped something away from my mouth. 'What?'_

'_You're bleeding,' he said and I could see it in his eyes that the situation was just making him angrier at each passing moment. 'Jesus, Near, what were you trying to do?'_

'_I am L,' replied L, glaring harshly at Matsuda. 'You would do well to remember that when addressing me. As for my actions, I have already explained myself, I was merely disciplining her for going against orders. If you have a problem with it, leave.'_

'_I will,' said Matsuda, standing me up alongside him, 'and I'll be taking Noriko with me before this situation becomes any more unpleasant.' He took off his suit jacket and threw it over me, then one arm wrapped around my shoulders and held me against him._

_L stared directly at Matsuda, his grey eyes unyielding in their gaze. 'You will do no such thing, Matsuda, she is not allowed to leave headquarters without supervision.'_

_Matsuda's grip on me tightened. 'I'll be out with her the entire time, L! And don't worry, I'll bring her back to her prison cell just like a good guard. Now leave me and my daughter the hell alone for a few minutes.'_

_Before anyone could protest, he walked us both straight out of the building, steering me towards a small park not more than a few blocks away. During the walk I could not help but feel grateful that Light was not around right now, if he had witnessed L's outburst, I was sure he would have done something to him; after all, no one strikes his Messiah._

'_Sit,' commanded Matsuda gently and I felt myself being gently forced into a bench. I was still clutching his jacket as if it was a security blanket and he sat next to me, his arm resuming its previous spot. 'Nori, I'm so sorry about this. I should have seen this coming and protected you.'_

_I looked up at him somewhat bewildered, was he actually blaming himself for what happened? 'It was my fault, I shouldn't have contradicted his order in front of everyone. I should have waited until we were alone before I said or did anything, that way he wouldn't feel like he was losing control of the situation.'_

'_I didn't help things by agreeing with you,' said Matsuda with a small smile. 'But it's hard to go against such a sound argument. It's hard to believe he would actually dismiss the whole scandal angle when it was right there for everyone to see.'_

'_I think he's idealized Kira into being beyond human,' I said quietly. 'He sees him now as some mystic being whom he is destined to vanquish and if anything doesn't live up to that image, he deems it insignificant. I'm sure once I prove no longer useful to him or his investigation, he'll dismiss me too.'_

_Matsuda held me tighter. 'Please don't say things like that, Nori, if you do then it means you're letting him get to you. You're a lot stronger than that.'_

_I smiled as I tried to resist his embrace. 'If that's so, then why do I feel like he's already won? He's taken away everything from me: my friends, my family, and my future. Everything I ever had to live for he stole from me.'_

'_It might seem that way, but you need to go on living,' said Matsuda kindly. 'What he took away from you was your past, you can make your present and future whatever you want.' He then turned serious. 'I think you're done grieving for your past, groveling in it won't solve anything and you know that, Noriko.'_

'_How do you expect me to move on?' I asked, wondering where this conversation was going. 'I'm not allowed to do much outside of the headquarters.'_

_To my great surprise, Matsuda shook his head. 'No, you're not allowed to contact anyone from your past, you can however make friends and participate in activities in your present. I know you, and you're far more social than you've been these last few weeks. I know you have Parisa, but you used to have a number of people you could hang out with, all ready at a moment's notice. You were much happier then and I think you should try to expand your social circle beyond Parisa, I mean, it couldn't hurt to at least try.'_

'_True,' I said, pulling away from him a little. 'I guess you have a point, L didn't exactly forbid me from having new friends, he just made it clear I can't have my old ones. And . . . I have missed going out and being on teams and all that. There are tennis try-outs coming up, maybe I should go for that?'_

_Matsuda nodded, a big smile on his face. 'There you go, now you're starting to sound like the old Nori. Plus, if you're part of a couple of teams at school, it'll keep you away from L more so incidents like today won't happen again.'_

_I smiled serenely. 'You really care about me, don't you?'_

'_You're my daughter, of course I do,' replied Matsuda then he frowned. 'I know none of this has been easy, but I don't want you to think that you can't come to me, Nori. I might not be your father biologically, but I did raise you and I'd like to think that counts for something. You and Koji are my two greatest achievements in life and I don't want to lose either of you, so please don't shut me out anymore, let me be your father again.'_

_I stared at him for what felt like hours, here was a man who had no blood ties to me, who could wash his hands of me completely, reaching out to me. No one would have reprimanded him for pretending I did not exist anymore, they would find it acceptable behavior from a man forced to raise someone else's child, but he was not doing that. Instead he was trying to show me that I still had a father, that despite the circumstances he was still there for me even if he could no longer be a permanent fixture in my life. Compared to Light, he was much more of a father to me and I hardly felt like I deserved his love. If he knew what I had been doing, I was sure he would disown me and reject me, but in that moment I did not care; he was there for me and wanted me to know that. I leaned forward, pressing my face against his shoulder as my body shook with sobs I refused to give voice, and he just held me._

* * *

Since that day, I vowed to turn things around because Matsuda did have a point, by wallowing in what I lost L was able to exert further control over me and that enabled him to manipulate the situation further in his favor. Regardless of whether or not I end up being Kira's Messiah, I am not about to let some man-child decide the course of my life. These last few weeks have been the best time I have had since finding the Death Note; after my talk with Matsuda I went to school the next day and signed up for tennis try-outs, then began practicing almost every chance I got for at least an hour a day. When I was not practicing or focusing on homework, I was busy socializing with the people I met at the tennis courts and in class. In what felt like no time at all I had a regular group of people to hang out with and who seem to genuinely care about me. Which explains the cheering people in the stands as I swing at the ball coming right for me.

"Nice save, Nori!" shouts my friend Izumi.

"Come on, Nori, you can do it!" cries her fraternal twin sister Mana.

I hear more people shouting my name and without looking at them I smile as if I am, it has been too long since I had a group of friends cheering me onto success. My swing garners me a point, one more point and I win the try-out set. My opponent serves the ball, it is going to be a hard overhead serve meant to deter me from trying and scoring him an easy point, and I will not allow that. The ball comes over just to the left of my current position and I lunge for it, angling my racket just right that it will use the momentum from the serve to push it back over the net though at a shallower angle. The odds of this working are slim at best but I still go for it, and by some miracle the ball hits the netting of my racket with enough force that it goes sailing back towards my opponent. Just as I come into contact with the ground, the ball does the same thing on the other side of the net, just out of reach of my opponent's racket.

"Game!" shouts the umpire. "Noriko Yagami wins, 7-5!"

There is a great deal of shouting and cheering as my opponent and I shake hands, we smile at each other and give our thanks for an excellent set.

"I hope we get to play again," he says as he lets go of my hand. "You're an excellent tennis player, Yagami, you should consider going pro."

"Thanks, Saga," I say, throwing my racket over my shoulder, "I'll definitely consider it if I make the team."

"What do you mean if? You definitely made the team," retorts Saga. "I guess we'll know tomorrow for sure, though." He then looks off in the distance. "Hey, I know this is kind of weird, but my friends and I are planning on going to that noodle place a few streets over tonight and I was hoping you'd join me. You can bring your friends, of course, the more the merrier."

I smile as we start walking towards the entrance of the courts where everyone is gathered. "Sure, it sounds great. By the way, you can call me Noriko."

"And you can call me Ritsu," says Ritsu winking then he looks at something behind me and squints as if he cannot believe what he is seeing. "Does that girl have pink hair?"

At the mention of pink hair I spin around and see Parisa glaring at me from outside of the tennis court fence, Ryuk and Light flanking her on either side and I barely suppress a groan. "Yes, I believe she does," I say lightly as we continue leaving. "What time were you thinking of getting together tonight?"

"How about seven?" suggests Ritsu and I nod. "Great, see you then."

He then runs off to join his friends and I am about to do the same when Parisa suddenly materializes in front of me, a very disapproving look on her delicate features.

"Where have you been?" she demands and I wave my friends off, who are looking at me with concern. "You haven't been answering your cell phone and ignoring me in public, what is going on, Noriko?"

"Calm down, Pari," I say gently as I move our conversation to a less public area. "Nothing sinister is going on, so please relax."

Parisa tenses almost immediately. "Relax? Relax? Noriko, we are in the middle of doing important work and you're telling me to relax!? You are the one whom has been neglecting her duties to Kira, I am the one who has been suffering while you go off and play with insignificant peasants."

"Really? Peasants?" I mumble as I look at Light. I have a feeling he is behind her sudden urge to confront me about my recent behavior these last few weeks. "And anyway, Pari, I'm not playing I'm covering."

"What do you mean?" asks Parisa, obviously not expecting this answer.

"L knows I used to be incredibly social and active in school, yes?" I ask, and then I hurry on before she can answer. "In order to downplay any possible suspicion, I have to return to my normal self and socialize. I realize that it isn't in my best interest to neglect giving you the names but it isn't in either of our interest for L to begin suspecting that I have any connection to the new Kira. So, I have to play the part of a recovered college student so L won't immediately suspect me of anything." I then pull out some notes from my satchel. "And I haven't been completely idle either, here, notes from our "history" lecture."

She takes the notes and seems somewhat relieved. "Good, now I can study without worrying I might have missed something important." Her gaze turns more serious again. "You shouldn't lose sight of the goal, Nori, we're very close to succeeding."

I glare at Light who seems surprised for a very short moment. "We're no closer now than we were before, unless you've opened your mouth again."

Parisa blushes but maintains her calm. "I did as I was instructed by my parents, and to address your concern, I have yet to inform Prophet Kagami of your identity. I merely meant that Kira has shown me a way of making our dream of a new world come true."

"How?" I ask somewhat uneasily.

"You give up ownership of the notebook and allow me to become the primary owner," explains Parisa, looking to Light for vindication. "That way, you don't have to worry about being caught and I can do Kira's work but with the ability to see the true names of the criminals."

"No," I say instantly. "I'm not going to give up ownership, not now or ever."

Before she has a chance to argue I run off towards my friends, although I can feel the heat of Light's glare as I move away.

* * *

"That was a fantastic try-out, honey!" cries Matsuda as we embrace. "That last point especially, I've never seen someone make a dive like that."

I giggle as he releases me. "It was the only thing I could think of to do, and honestly I didn't think it would even work."

Matsuda smiles brightly as we get into the car with Watari. "Of course it was going to work, you were the one doing it. So, when will the coach post the new team list?"

"I think tomorrow," I say as I buckle up, relieved that neither Light nor Ryuk is traveling with me. "Oh, I kind of have a date tonight, I hope that's alright."

"A date, huh?" asks Matsuda with a fake-serious tone. "Well, I don't know about this Noriko, it's such short notice I won't be able to have the boy properly investigated; I might be able to get only his background from his current age to maybe middle school done but he might have been a serial killer in elementary school for all we know."

I have to keep from laughing. "Oh please let me go! I promise I'll do all of my homework the second we get back to HQ and I'll even pry into the private lives of other people. Just please let me go on this one little date!"

A surprise snicker comes from Watari and Matsuda is barely able to contain himself though somehow he manages.

"Alright then, you can go on the date," says Matsuda, trying to sound like he caved in. "Just don't be surprised if you see a couple of almost-sixty year old men watching you from a dark corner, those are just your uncles keeping an eye on you."

"Alright," I say then we bust out laughing, Watari joining in though not as loudly as Matsuda and I.

We arrive at Task Force and SPK headquarters a short time later and Matsuda escorts me to the main room where as expected, everyone is busy working on something or other. Taking a deep breath I head over to my station where L is currently sitting, a piece of hair twisted around his fingers, Raku standing close by his side as if acting as his bodyguard. _'I'm the one who needs protection,'_ I think bitterly as I sit down and log into the system.

"How were the try-outs?" asks L though I know he hardly cares.

"Fine," I say stiffly as I access the list of cultist candidates. "Did Gevanni and Lidner finish that list of suspicious deaths?"

L nods. "They did, you should find it already in our system. I must say, your hunch on that was right; there have been a number of unexplainable deaths in the last few years that match the M.O of our cultists. Of course, not all of the deaths could be connected but at least a quarter of them were."

"Only a quarter?" I say, heat rising on my skin as I access the file. I scan the deaths, a great many died of either disease or heart attack when they were declared to be in perfect health when they were sentenced to life in prison or given the death penalty. "Why did so many death row prisoners die prematurely? This doesn't make any sense, it's like they were targeted by someone." I know for a fact that _had_ been targeted and by whom, but it is not like I can just come out and say that, that would be like admitting flat out I am Kira without any evidence necessary.

"Noriko, do you know how Kira was able to kill?" asks L, knowing full well that I am not privy to this information.

I shake my head. "No, I do know that he required a face and a name, that much you can get from the Internet but no one ever figured out how he was able to kill with just a face and a name. Did you ever learn how he could?"

L nods. "I did, and I must say it was quite interesting. All he had to do in order to kill was write the name of someone in a notebook while thinking of their face. The notebook belonged to a _Shinigami_ and possessed extraordinary power that we were never able to discern. Anyway, it was the notebook that allowed Kira to kill."

"A notebook?" I ask, sounding skeptical even though I know the truth. "Really? A notebook was what allowed Kira to commit mass murder on a global scale? Is this some kind of a joke?"

I am even more grateful for the fact Light is not here with me, he would have had a field day with this exchange of information, although I know now I have to command him to come back to me soon after seeing what his presence has done to Parisa. I only sent him away because I was worried about possibly raising suspicion but now I see that is nothing compared to the havoc he can wreak to Parisa's sanity.

"If I were joking, I would have come up with something more believable," replies L though I can tell he bought my skepticism. "Getting back to my original point, there were two notebooks in existence during the time when Light Yagami was Kira and he used both to commit his crimes. He used mainly heart attacks and disease when he first started killing, much like how these death row inmates and life in prison inmates were killed. I believe it was the work of Kira."

"I thought Kira was dead," I say, the gravity of the situation weighing heavily on me. "Are you telling me that he's actually alive someplace?"

L shrugs. "We can't be sure, but we never recovered a body. I believe that Kira, the true Kira, is at the center of the cult. He is either guiding the cultists himself or is doing it through a puppet, either way we have to find out what is going on and put a stop to it. Now that we have a pretty good idea who might be members of the cult, it's time to start looking for a common denominator beyond the background information we have already found. Start looking into the circles these people run in, find a common link in all of them, if we find it then we find our Kira."

I say nothing but I nod then start working, I can sense a shift in the atmosphere around me, everyone around me knows what I know: we do not have a clear idea who the cult members are. We have speculations and strong leads but we do not have anything concrete, I know for a fact that some of the people on the list really are cultists though I cannot give that information out, yet we can probably eliminate more if we look hard enough. No, L is getting anxious, he does not want to wait any longer to catch Kira when he thinks he is so close. He wants to find the person who might be Kira's puppet and it is eating away at him every second he does not have a name. What he wants above all is to have Kira in custody again, the fact there was no body found means he does not consider the matter closed, if anything it just keeps the case open. He feels robbed of his victory and is trying to reestablish himself as the World's Greatest Detective instead of living in the shadow of the original L.

With a slight smirk dancing on my lips I begin delving into the social lives of some of the stronger candidates, trying not to focus on the people I know to be in the cult otherwise that might tip my hand to L. I search through their social media, looking for mutual friends that are also on the list, I go through their emails thanks to a program L developed for such purposes and I go through their online calendars. There are common links but nothing like what L wants, perhaps I am looking at things incorrectly? I backtrack and search through the zealots' social lives, looking for any similarities between them and the suspects. If anything looks common then that is the lead to chase.

Going through their calendars proves to be the most helpful, such things like whom and when they are meeting a person could be used to single out a common denominator. I look through every month leading up to their arrests and subsequent deaths, finding nothing strange until the month or so before they were arrested. Each of them had the same PTA meeting, then after that they each had a working lunch with someone, and although the days were different they were all at the same place during the same week and at the same time. Following this lunch, each of the zealots performed criminal acts in order to be arrested and died later.

'_That means whatever happens at this lunch is the catalyst for their sacrifice!'_ I conclude, trying to keep from grinning too widely.

"Ryuzaki, I think I have something," I say and he turns his head to look at me. "I decided to go back to the known zealots and look to see if they did anything similar to each other in the weeks leading up to their arrests and deaths, to figure out if there is a pattern that I can compare the other candidates to."

"I see, please continue," says L and he moves a little closer so he can see my screen.

I bring up the calendars of the zealots, the particular week selected for each and I see L's eyes widen though he tries to cover his surprise. "Each of the zealots had a lunch meeting at the same place during work hours, the days might be different but the times are exactly the same. If we can bring up the security feed for this restaurant on these dates and times, we'll probably find our common link."

L twirls some hair around his finger even tighter than before. "Yes, I believe that is a safe assumption." He then smirks just a little. "It would seem we are tightening the noose. Noriko, do you think it would be possible for you to go back further than this and see if the people who committed those murders in the past had similar meetings?"

"I could look but I'm not entirely sure," I say, somewhat honestly. "The restaurant they went to has only been around for about six years I believe, so it's possible these meetings went on in other places that no longer exist."

This does not seem to deter L. "Then look into possible meetings for the last six years, or better yet since that restaurant opened. It seems to have some significance to our common link so the sooner we find out what, the better."

"What's the biggest company around that area?" asks Aizawa, and I can see where his line of thinking is going. Criminals of any sort usually have a comfort zone where they feel most at ease and will normally commit their crimes there, the comfort zone can be where they live, work, or where their family is though there are variations.

"It appears to be Yotsuba," says Mogi and the tension in the room rises. "You don't think we're dealing with another Yotsuba Kira, do you L?"

L betrays nothing but I can tell he is on edge about this. "There are a number of smaller companies in that area but the fact Yotsuba is closest to the restaurant in question and has a history of being associated with Kira is troubling. Noriko, how many members of Yotsuba Industries staff are on the list of potential cult members?"

I apply a filter to the list and am surprised a little to see so many, mentally I kick myself for not having made this connection sooner. "Approximately 20% of the list, Ryuzaki, including the CEO and president Osamu Kagami." My heart pounds in my chest, of all the people listed he is the most likely suspect even without his connection to Mikami, I have been trying since I found out to put him in the spotlight and it would seem that fate is doing it for me. _'Wait, these lunches happen after the PTA meetings . . . if anyone looks too closely they'll figure out the connection between Kagami and the PTA meetings . . . and they know I went to one!'_

The day I went to the cult meeting, someone had been following me just as I suspected, of course when I returned I was interrogated as to my whereabouts when I left with Parisa's family and why I had done so. I explained that it was a PTA meeting and Parisa was expected to attend since she was volunteering for a festival for her sister's class; I said I went along because I did not want our study session to end that early and was interested in the festival itself. This was not a total lie, because at the end of the meeting we were all given information about the upcoming festival and who was doing what. I am sure they still suspect something about the meeting, but since then no one has mentioned it and I have not made any plans to attend another one. That being said, if they find some small reason to look into these meetings they will probably discover their true purpose and I will immediately come under suspicion. If they wanted they could convict me just for going.

'_Calm down, no one has made the connection yet,'_ I chide myself as the other investigators discuss Yotsuba and Kagami. _'You just have to make sure that the focus stays on the lunches and Kagami, not the PTA meetings.'_

"We should look into Yotsuba's workers," says L as he turns to face the room, his voice shaking me from my thoughts. "Put a particular emphasis on the heads of the departments and Kagami. We need to focus on where they go for lunch, when, and with whom. Lidner, I want you to hack the security feed of the restaurant, I want it always on monitor three whenever it is open. You should also go back as far as you can and see if there are any faces from Yotsuba dining there as well as people from our list of suspects. Gevanni, I need you to take a more hands on approach, starting tomorrow you will join the staff of this restaurant and monitor the current situation. We might already be too late but it won't hurt to have feet on the ground." He looks at the man close by. "If this doesn't work, you'll go to work at Yotsuba as Kagami's personal secretary or covertly follow him, whichever fits the situation best. Either way, we need you in Yotsuba."

"Should I inform Rester of this development?" asks Gevanni from his station.

"Not yet," says L, drawing a knee up under his chin. "Let Rester continue to monitor things in the United States for now, if we need him I will send for him."

Rester I knew was L's former second-in-command before Raku took over for him after the defeat of Kira. He had come to Japan with L but left shortly after to resume work in the United States, as there was an ongoing investigation there that L was trying to solve at the time. Periodically he will check in with L but the conversations are never very long and always to the point, so I usually pay him no mind, but now that L thinks the situation might require his previous second-in-command I might have to watch my back more closely.

"Lidner, I will also need you to monitor the calendars of the people we decide to investigate," continues L, "it is very likely that more meetings like the ones Noriko found will crop up and we must be ready for them when they do."

Lidner, a tall blonde woman who has obviously had way too much Botox, gives L a rather serious look. "And what if we're already too late? What if these meetings have already happened and murders have been planned?"

This seems to concern L very little. "Then we wait for the next round of meetings, even if we missed the ones happening now, we can be on the lookout for more. Now that we know what we're looking for, it'll be easier to track their movements, so long as we can figure out who the zealots were meeting with and why."

"That's great and everything but Noriko has to go get ready," announces Matsuda, coming up to put his arm around my shoulders. "She's got a date this evening and I'll be damned before I let her be late."

L's eyes darken and I prepare myself for the possibility of being slapped again. "You're not going to be chaperoning are you, Matsuda? You've been doing it far too frequently, perhaps Ide or Aizawa would like a chance."

"I'd be more than willing to do it," says Mogi and Matsuda's smile widens. "I don't have any plans this evening and my wife is visiting her mother this week. As long as you don't mind, L."

"Not at all," replies L stiffly. "If that's everything, then—"

"Oh, I forgot to mention," interrupts Matsuda, "I'm going to be taking Nori on a little trip this upcoming weekend, so she and I won't be here from Friday afternoon until Sunday evening."

The look of anger on L's face almost makes me laugh but I manage to control myself.

"Fine," he says, his tone dangerous. "You may have your trip, so long as you remember for next time that you are no longer legally bound to Noriko and that all decisions regarding her are now made by me and not you or Raku."

"Yes, L, I'll remember that for next time," says Matsuda dismissively and he walks me out of the room, both of us grinning like mad.

"You didn't tell me about a trip," I say when we make it out to the hall, my voice low.

"I know, I wanted to surprise you," replies Matsuda as we head for the elevator.

When we step in I let some excitement slip into my voice. "Where are we going?"

A nostalgic and sad look crosses over Matsuda's face. "To visit your aunt."


	14. Mending

**A/N: Familiar face near the end! Enjoy!**

* * *

The line outside of the noodle restaurant is well out the door and almost doubling around the block by the time Mogi drops me off, I scan the nearest section of line for anyone familiar but I see no one. Pulling out my phone, I see a text message:

Mana: _Hey! We're already inside, hurry up!_

Noriko: _Just arrived, headed inside now!_

With a small smile I head to the door, pushing my way through the crowd of people around the entrance and into the restaurant, the smell of freshly cooked noodles hitting my nose immediately. I look around the room, my eyes going from the kitchen where the chefs are cooking up massive amounts of fresh noodles to the tables scattered around the room, families and friends seated closely together as they dine or wait to order. Something catches my eye and it is Mana, Izumi and several others waving frantically at me from a table in the back on a raised platform, I wave back and rush as quickly as I can to where they are sitting. I smile at everyone as I sit down beside Izumi, Mana across from us and another one of our friends Mei is seated beside her.

"Finally! I thought you weren't going to make it," says Mana dramatically as she hands me a pair of chopsticks. "I hope you don't mind, we already kind of ordered for you."

"It's fine, you know what I like so I don't mind," I say pleasantly as I look at the others sitting with us. Ritsu and one of his friends are seated to my right while his other friends are to my left, the eight of us perfectly filling the table nicely. "Hello again, Ritsu, long time no see."

"No kidding," he says with a laugh then gestures to the others sitting at the table. "Noriko, these are my friends Takumi, Kou, and Sora; you might remember Sora from the tennis try-outs."

Sora, the one sitting beside Ritsu laughs, and runs a hand through his cropped brown locks. "She should, she completely annihilated me in the first round!"

I shrug and smirk. "I annihilated a lot of people at the try-outs, Ritsu included, but yes I remember you, Sora. You were the one who ended up tangled in the net when trying to stop one of my returns."

"See? I leave a lasting first impression," says Sora happily and we shake hands. "It's good to finally meet you, Yagami, all we hear around campus are legends of your excellence."

"Are you sure you're talking about me and not about Light Yagami?" I ask, curious to see what he will say.

"You, of course," he replies with a quizzical look. "Sure Light Yagami's known around the Kanto region, but he's long gone now and you're here doing things he could only dream about." He takes a sip of water before winking at Ritsu. "Actually, Ritsu here was just saying that he never thought the freshman rep would be such a great tennis player. Especially when we learned from some rumors that you had scored the highest ever on the To-Oh exams."

I wave off his compliment with some pseudo humility. "They weren't that high, I'm sure Light Yagami's were higher."

Sora shakes his head. "Nope, and trust me when I say this was heavily looked into by most of the student body."

"Well, isn't that comforting," I say dryly, eliciting an amused snort from Ritsu.

"Besides that," continues Sora as if neither of us had said or made any noise, "Light had to share the honor of Freshman Representative with some other guy who scored identically to him. No one could even come close to touching you, that's how good you are."

I have to refrain from rolling my eyes but that does not mean I do not resist making a slightly barbed comment. "Either that or this year's students just weren't that well studied."

"God, Nori, take the frigging compliment," groans Mana, tossing a ball of wrapper at me. "I know you hate being compared to your cousin but come on, I think you've earned some bragging rights. You did so well during the welcome ceremony, you should be proud."

I smile and let her tease me, it feels great having friends around to do that with again, and I have to admit that she is right regarding the speech I gave as Freshman Representative. It was not long after I had been "adopted" by L and I had been on the verge of declining entirely, but somehow I managed to stand up on that stage and look like a proper college student and deliver the speech I had memorized. I knew I had done well but I had no idea that I had made such a lasting impression on my peers, if almost three months into the school year they were still talking about it and my exam scores.

"So how did you and Madame To-Oh become friends?" asks Sora, looking at Mana.

'_God do I hate that nickname,'_ I sigh but I say nothing in protest.

"We're in the same chemistry lab," explains Mana happily. "At first, I really didn't think that Nori even knew who I was, because she didn't say much to anyone but then one day a couple of weeks into school, we were doing some experiment she came over and asked to be my partner. The rest is, as they say, history!"

"And Mana introduced me to Izumi and they both introduced me to Mei," I finish, smiling at my friends pleasantly.

"I think we share a history lecture together, Noriko," says Kou, his head resting in his hand. "Don't you sit with that pink-haired girl? Paris, right?"

"Parisa," I correct and then nod. "Yes, I do. She's been my best friend since elementary school."

"Why didn't you invite her?" asks Kou as he picks apart the paper chopstick wrapper in front of him. "I mean she's your childhood friend, that counts for something, right?"

Izumi and Mana do not look happy at the mention of possibly inviting Parisa out anywhere with them, Mei has never met her but the two of them have and they told me later that they did not like her at all. I refrained from telling them that the feeling was mutual but I knew that I would have to keep the three of them separate if I did not want to incite some kind of fight.

"Izumi and Mana don't exactly like Parisa," I say cautiously. "Their personalities don't mix well and—"

"You don't have to be so polite, Nori," interrupts Mana. "We've met Parisa once and that was plenty for Zumi and I. We were polite and offered to include her in our get together at the karaoke bar but she was not interested." She looks at her sister, the calmer of the two. "What was it she said to us, Zumi?"

Izumi clears her throat and I brace myself, having been there for that particular confrontation. "She said, 'I have more important things to do than be seen slacking off with the likes of you.' Then she walked away, like she was better than us."

Mana is clearly enraged by the memory but she is able to control her temper rather admirably. "All we did was invite her to karaoke! You'd have thought we offered her a joint or something! Nori, I don't understand how you're still friends with her, she isn't exactly interested in anything you are."

'_I know, but she could kill me at a moment's notice so I kind of have to,'_ I think as I try to come up with a reasonable explanation. "Yes, but we share a history and she's been with me through some difficult times, I can't just abandon her because we don't share similar interests."

"Yeah, but she's really weird!" continues Mana and I can sense Izumi wanting to reach across the table and force her sister to be quiet. "She stares at you like you're her whole world or something and I think she hates Zumi and I because we're just _near_ you. Are you sure she isn't some kind of stalker or something, Nori? She might be obsessed with you."

If Mana knew how hard she had hit the nail on the head, even she would be impressed with her deductive abilities.

"Mana, I think you're overreacting," I say calmly and with the best reassuring smile I can muster at the moment. "She's probably just being protective because of what happened with one my other friends from school."

"What happened?" asks Ritsu and I can tell by the blush on his cheeks that he had not intended to say that aloud.

I pretend to think for a moment as if trying to recall the memory even though I hardly have the need. "Back in school, I had two other friends, Haluk and Sanne. It was the four of us for as long as I can remember, of course we had other friends but we always managed to stay close. I'm sure it'll be no surprise when I say that Haluk had a crush on me and asked me out not too long before our exams; I said yes, having a bit of a crush myself and we went out. After that we hung out a bit more without the others and would act like a couple around people, apparently that didn't sit well with Sanne at all."

"Hardly," says Izumi with a derisive tone, having heard the story before.

"Anyway, Sanne confesses one night that she was in love with Haluk," I continue glancing at Ritsu as I do. "I didn't think much of it until Parisa started pointing out that I deserved to have better friends than them and that she would always be there for me and stuff like that. Eventually, I found out for myself that Haluk and Sanne were seeing each other and things ended between the three of us before we went off to university."

Sora lets out a humorless laugh. "Wow, with friends like that, you don't need any enemies."

"Actually, I don't hate either of them," I say and I can tell they are all surprised. "I'm not saying that I'm not angry that it happened or anything like that, because I was and to a point still am but I have moved on. When I lost my first real relationship I also lost two long time friendships, so I inevitably ended up mourning three losses all rolled up in one. In a way, I'm grateful to Haluk and Sanne for what happened, without really knowing it they taught me a lesson most people don't learn for a very long time or never do; nothing can stay the same forever, eventually it has to change. And now, I get to sit here with the seven of you in a fantastic noodle restaurant and talk about my past like I'm a middle-aged mother passing on sage advice to her children."

Everyone laughs then, I join in as well, tension leaving my heart I was not even aware of.

"Do you know what happened to Haluk and Sanne?" asks Ritsu, seemingly more relaxed than he had been when I first arrived.

"Well, no but I do know that they're sitting just a few tables away from us," I say and point discreetly over at a table where Haluk, Sanne, and their families are dining. When I entered the restaurant initially, I had spotted them when I was looking for my friends, at first I had been angry but then I was worried that they would see me and say something. I was relieved when I snuck past them unnoticed.

Everyone around me looks in their direction, their mouths slightly agape before turning their attention back to the topic at hand.

Izumi looks concerned as she glances back over at Sanne and Haluk's table. "Nori, why didn't you say something? We could have switched tables or gotten our order to go."

I put a hand on her shoulder and she relaxes. "Zumi, it's fine, really. Besides I didn't want to ruin everyone's evening by bringing up my past. Well, I guess I might have done that already."

"Absolutely not," says Ritsu quickly, giving me a very charming smile, one that would have contained malice had it come from Light. "You haven't ruined our evening at all, if anything it's given us a better understanding of you as a person."

"And it's answered the question of whether or not you're single for Ritsu here," says Sora, throwing an arm around Ritsu's shoulders. "Come on, man, you can't tell me that you weren't curious."

Soon enough our food arrives, much to Ritsu's obvious relief and any mention of my previous group of friends is long forgotten as we begin to eat, Izumi and Mana having ordered me shrimp ramen. The eight of us talk quite contentedly as we eat, our topics of conversation ranging from professors we cannot stand to potential outcomes for the upcoming baseball game, all the while Ritsu and I have our own side conversations. I enjoy talking with him, he is clearly incredibly brilliant, not on the same level as Light or myself but he is far above average. And he has a great sense of humor and laughs whenever I say something clever, so he understands my own brand of humor.

Dinner ends not too much later and we all go in on the bill before heading out of the restaurant, Ritsu and I walking side by side as we leave, I spare a glance at Sanne and Haluk's table and see the two of them looking at me as if they have seen a ghost. _'Perhaps they are feeling a little guilty?'_ I consider as I leave the restaurant, a kind of morbid satisfaction settling in my gut as I think about the possibility that my appearance, or someone they think looks like me, has brought about such a reaction from them.

I quickly text Mogi that I am ready to head back to headquarters and he replies his affirmative, saying he will pick me up at the nearest street corner. Everyone begins to part ways, those with cars head towards them and the rest head for the nearest bus stop, while I stand on the corner with Ritsu.

"Do you have a car?" I ask, wondering why he is not headed towards a method of transportation.

Ritsu nods. "I do, it's not parked too far away from here actually." He runs a hand through his ash-blonde hair, looking a little nervous as we stand together. "Hey, uh, Noriko, could I, uh, get your number?"

I raise an eyebrow curiously and pull out my phone. "Sure, if you give me yours in exchange."

Relief floods Ritsu's face and we quickly exchange numbers, my hands shaking slightly as I save his number into my contacts, there are two possibilities in this situation and neither one I am entirely sure of: Ritsu is being genuine in his interest in me or L has paid him off in order to keep a better eye on me while I am out and about with my friends. As a safeguard, I give him a false number. It is close to my real number but has enough differences to be invalid.

If he manages to text me despite being given a fake number it means that someone who knows the truth told him; he could always ask one of my friends but if he is in L's employ then he will try to check almost immediately if it is real, and he would not be able to ask my friends so quickly. His goal is likely to get my number alone so he would not bother getting Izumi, Mana, or Mei's numbers in order to confirm the legitimacy of my own. I will know more or less the next time I see him, when he will probably ask either why I gave him a fake number or why I was not texting him back. If he asks the former, then I will know he is likely working with someone but if he asks the latter I will know he had no idea that it was a fake number.

Mogi pulls up moments later and I move to get in when Ritsu takes my hand and pulls me into a very friendly embrace, unexpected yes but not entirely unwelcome. When we pull away he is blushing again and I can feel a slight blush creeping into my face as well, some part of me hopes that he is being genuine yet I cannot shake the feeling that he is setting me up and spying for L. This means he probably saw me speaking with Parisa the other day and tipped L off about it, which means I could be in more trouble than I realized.

"I'll see you soon, I hope," I say before opening the door to Mogi's car.

"Yeah, definitely," replies Ritsu as he glances at the driver of the car, I see a strange look cross his features although he is quick to hide it from me. He waves cheerily then heads off in a different direction while I climb into the car.

Mogi smiles at me as he starts driving towards headquarters, I relax a little as I watch the streetlights go by, my mind wandering.

"Hey Noriko," says Mogi, taking me away from whatever fantasies I am trying to conjure. "I just want to say that I'm on your side, I don't believe that you could ever be Kira or that you would ever want to be. Whatever L says, I believe in you."

"Why?" I ask, unable to question his motives. "Both of my biological parents were Kira at some point in their lives, what makes you think that I won't turn out like them?"

Mogi's shoulders tense and I wonder if he is trying to remember some line he is supposed to spout if questioned. "It's because . . . you aren't that type of person," he says finally, his words confusing me further. "I knew your parents both before and after they were Kira, and looking back, they both acted like they could be Kira even when they weren't. Your mother experienced a great tragedy and thanks to Kira it was avenged, she felt a great deal of admiration to him and seemed to follow him blindly, accepting anything he said or did as what she wanted so she went along with it. Your father . . . always had a stronger sense of justice than most cops or prosecutors, I remember him bringing up several times before he was Kira about how the world might be if all the criminals were wiped out."

He pauses and I wonder if he will continue at all. "You on the other hand have always desired a quiet life with your family, doing what you love the most, and being Kira would certainly disrupt that."

'_You have no idea,'_ I think somewhat wryly as I listen to him.

"You have a strong sense of justice, sure, but you seem to place more faith in the justice system than your father ever did," explains Mogi, glancing over at me. "Not to mention you have never been one to let a tragedy or experience define your very being, which is what your mother allowed to happen to her. I don't know if you find this to be a compliment, but you didn't inherit either of your parents' personality flaws that made them Kira. That's why I don't believe you have it in you to become one."

"Thank you, Mogi, I appreciate that," I say, giving him a tiny smile which he returns before falling silent.

What he said is true, I do not have the same drive or conviction to rid the world of evil that my father does nor did I possess my mother's ability to let one devastating blow destroy my life. While I do not possess either completely, I do have them to some degree: I have never understood why people who commit horrific crimes are given a second chance and allowed to continue preying on the innocent and just recently I almost let L ruin my life completely by being the dutiful ward who did nothing except go to school and come home. It pains me more than I am willing to admit to have the trust of Matsuda and Mogi, because I know that every time I hand Parisa a list of names or communicate with Light I am betraying that trust. I am hardly worthy to be considered innocent by them when my hands are continuously dripping with blood.

* * *

Matsuda sings along with the radio and I join in a little when a song comes on that I know, though there are very few that I do on his favorite station. He laughs as he turns down the volume.

"You may look like your mother, but you didn't get her singing voice," he teases and I let out a huff, knowing he is right, I do have a terrible singing voice. "Don't be like that, you have other talents that she didn't have."

"Like what?" I ask, almost craving information about my mother that no one else could give me.

"Let's see," says Matsuda thoughtfully. "You're a pretty talented artist, one of the best I've ever seen, and you're a really good cook when you want to be."

I laugh at the thought of Misa trying to cook only to burn whatever she was making to a crisp, somehow I like thinking that she had some flaws, makes her seem more of a person than an impossible dream. "Which of them am I most like, do you think?"

Matsuda had agreed a while ago to answer any questions I had about my birth parents and their families, at least to the best of his abilities, I am sure it is uncomfortable for him to do but he has yet to complain and for that I will be eternally grateful. I know I have Light to ask questions to yet somehow I am sure he would be giving me a biased or dishonest account, so Matsuda seems the better source of information. Actually, I prefer asking him, it makes me feel closer to all of my parents.

"In looks or personality?" he asks as he checks his GPS.

"Both," I say with a shrug, curious about his answer.

"In looks I would say Light," says Matsuda as he turns onto a worn road. "But don't worry, I can still some of your mother in you when you make certain faces. And in personality, I would have to say you have qualities of them both. You aren't as bubbly as your mother but you are sweet, and you can be dedicated to something without becoming obsessed. I don't know if you're as good a liar as Light, which can only mean you probably are if I haven't caught you."

I smirk. "Not a bad deduction there, Dad, you could almost pass for a detective."

Matsuda lets out a slightly shaky laugh. "His wit and sense of humor, that's definitely something you fully share with Light."

"Does it hurt to talk about my birth parents?" I ask, thinking it is about time I ask him just in case this has started to be too painful to speak about. I do not want to put him through more pain than I am sure I have, intentionally or otherwise.

"Sometimes," replies Matsuda and I see his shoulders sag a little. "I admired Light a great deal, he had the makings of an amazing detective and was a great guy all around, but he made a terrible decision and it cost everyone so much. Misa, I like to think of her as my best friend or pretty damn near close, and looking back on everything that happened I feel like I should have done more to help her. I should have tried harder to get her away from Light, tried harder to protect her from the Task Force, just plain _tried harder_."

I can see the sadness in his eyes, a sadness that only exists whenever he remembers something about Misa and I have a feeling he carries tremendous guilt where she is concerned. "Dad, did you agree to raise me to try and make it up to Misa for what you thought was you letting her down?"

He nods almost immediately. "Despite what I'm sure L thinks, I didn't do it for your grandfather but that was a small part of it. When Misa came to me and explained her situation, I wanted to save her and I thought taking you would help with that, then . . . then she died and I knew I had to change my thinking. That's when I threw myself into making sure you were everything she would have wanted in a daughter, and along the way I realized that you were everything I wanted in a daughter, and that's when it stopped being about Misa and just about raising you to be you."

"I think you did a pretty good job," I say kindly and he grins. "How's Koji doing?"

"Better," says Matsuda with a touch of sorrow in his voice. "He still misses you and I think he hates us a little less than before, he still insists on keeping your room the same though. Raku removed some stuff and when she went back in, she found it back where it had been originally."

I try not to cry as I listen. "I wish I could see him again, I miss him so much."

Matsuda reaches over and takes my hand. "I know, Nori, maybe someday you can."

We lapse into silence and I stare out of the window at the trees, changing color with the autumn weather and the knot in my gut twists harder. It has been there almost since the start of this whole endeavor with the Death Note but until recently I could ignore it as skillfully as I ignored the fact I became a murderer. Now whenever Matsuda or someone else said something kind or did something nice for me, it would clench tight and remind me that nothing I did now could erase what I did before. I will always be stained by blood: I gave Parisa a new list of victims before I left, I informed Light he would be returning to me when I came back from this trip, I would go after Kagami as soon as I could. Everything I do is soaked with blood in one way or another and I just add to it. I thought before that I could be purified, when I was naïve and starting out, but now all I want is absolution so I can live again.

* * *

When we arrive at our destination I am a little confused, this is a mental institution or a type of one, Matsuda never mentioned before where my aunt was I just assumed she lived outside of the city. He parks the car and we get out, him carrying my luggage and me bringing my satchel and purse as we walk up the steps then into the building. It is an older building but well kept, with ivory colored walls and lots of natural light shining in from the many windows, I see nurses dressed in pastel colored scrubs with patients in comfortable looking red pajamas. This hardly seems like the mental institutions they show in movies or describe in the news; this is almost akin to a convalescent home.

Matsuda directs me to the front desk where a pleasant looking woman with grey hair is manning the desk, she smiles when she sees us and I find myself smiling back. I read the plaque on her desk and am surprised to see it say, 'Matron.'

"Hi, I'm Touta Matsuda, I called here earlier," says Matsuda as he searches for something in his pocket.

The matron nods. "Yes, about Ms. Yagami's niece coming to visit for the weekend. This must be her, hello dear."

"Hello," I say with a slight bow.

"Your aunt is very excited about seeing you," says the matron. "You definitely look like you're related to her, that much is plain. We've already set up a futon for you in her room, and you can eat with us at meal times. I'm going to go see if your aunt's ready to receive you yet."

The matron leaves, leaving Matsuda and I by ourselves in the lobby.

"Wait, where are you staying?" I ask, looking at Matsuda.

"I'm not staying," he says slowly. "I'm dropping you off then heading to the village close by, Koji's swim team has a meet there and I told Raku I'd be with him so she could work."

"You planned all of this because of the swim meet, didn't you?" I ask, a smile toying on my lips.

Matsuda grins broadly. "I thought it was pretty serendipitous, myself. Anyway, I'll be picking you up Sunday afternoon, after Koji's back on the bus headed home."

"Aren't you worried about Raku saying something to your boss?" I inquire.

"I told her that I had someone watching you, and I paid him off to say he was," explains Matsuda proudly. "I gave him a general idea of what you and your aunt would be doing so all he has to do is tell them that and we should be good. Okay, I have to go, have a fun time. I'll see you on Sunday."

We embrace then he leaves, I stand there dumbfounded by the fact he is risking so much just so I can have a weekend alone, the knot in my gut twitches again but this time I ignore it. I will not take advantage of this for any purpose other than getting to know my aunt. Soon enough the matron returns along with a nurse, who takes my bags, and together they escort me down a hallway. When we reach a certain point, the nurse heads in a different direction while the matron pushes me on towards a different hall that leads directly into a large room with three walls almost made entirely out of windows, I look around and see many of the patients sitting with either nurses, fellow patients, or family members presumably. They all seem rather calm and I wonder why they are here in the first place but I know better than to ask directly, I am sure a few hours here and I will understand completely.

"Your aunt is this way," says the matron soothingly and she leads me to a corner where a woman is sitting in a wheelchair reading a book. The woman, my aunt, has dark brown hair of similar thickness to mine pulled back in a high bun, displaying the silver streaks hidden underneath. When we approach she looks up and immediately freezes when she sees me.

"My god," she says stupefied, putting her book down. "When Matsuda said you . . . dear god, I didn't think . . . you look just like him."

'_I'm going to assume by her tone that's a bad thing,'_ I think as I watch the matron move to calm my aunt down.

"Now Sayu, that's no way to greet your niece," she chides gently, much like a mother then she looks at me. "Why don't you introduce yourself, dear?"

I nod, managing to pull my senses together in order to bow. "Forgive the intrusion, Ms. Yagami. I'm Noriko Yagami, your niece."

Sayu is still looking at me like she has seen a ghost when I stand back up at my full height. "Why do you look like him? He said you looked like Misa! Why don't you look like her?!" She looks furious at me then turns to the matron. "I don't want to see her, send her away. She looks too much like him, I can't stand seeing her."

"Sayu, that's incredibly rude!" snaps the matron. "She can't help the fact she looks like your brother."

"It's fine," I say quietly, finding my voice again. "Anyway, it was nice meeting you, Aunt Sayu. I'm sorry for bothering you."

I quickly retreat from the room and head for the entrance, fighting back tears. The last thing I want to do is cause her further pain, if she is here then it is pretty obvious she has been scarred by what transpired in the past as Matsuda explained to me on the drive up here. Seeing the face of her dead brother probably brings back everything she has been trying to move on from and I do not want that for her. I might not know much about her but that does not mean I want to hurt her further, I do that enough by existing.

Once I arrive outside I sit on the steps leading into the institution and pull out my phone, intent on calling a taxi to take me back to the city, thinking I will just stay with Parisa until I am supposed to return to headquarters. I go to dial the operator when I see that I do not have any cell service out here in the mountains, which means if I want to leave I have to go back inside and ask the matron for a landline phone to use. I glance over my shoulder at the door, I really do not want to go inside, I might run into Sayu again and that could lead to something bad but I have no other choice at this point. Steeling my resolve I stand up and head into the building, praying to a nonexistent god that I do not see Sayu.

I arrive back at the matron's desk and find no one there so I take the liberty of searching for the landline myself, finding it almost immediately when I lean over the counter. Pulling it up onto the counter I cradle the phone to my ear as I dial for the operator, listening to the dial tone as I wait for the person on the other end to pick it up. Just as I hear the click the matron appears and quickly presses down on the switch hook, promptly ending the call.

"You can't leave," she says, sounding desperate.

With an irritated sigh, I pull the base away from her. "She doesn't want to see me, she made that perfectly clear in there and honestly I don't want to upset her more."

The matron pulls the phone away from me completely. "She might not want to see you but she _needs_ to see you, Miss Yagami. Sayu has no one left except you."

"And she probably wishes for it to be otherwise," I argue, reaching for the phone but she is quicker than she seems and keeps it out of my reach. "Why is it so important that we interact? I'm sure she was perfectly happy until I showed up."

To my great surprise the matron shakes her head forlornly. "On the contrary, Miss Yagami, she was miserable. Her mother died of cancer not too long ago, her father and brother were both murdered by Kira long before you were born. She knew you were alive but she wasn't allowed to see you, and when she got the news that you were coming for a visit, she acted like a new woman. She was so excited to finally meet you."

"Why does the fact I look like my father upset her so much?" I ask, wondering if Light did something terrible to Sayu when they were younger.

"You have to understand, her older brother was very important to her," explains the matron quietly. "She loved him very dearly, she had complete faith in his abilities to capture Kira and when he was murdered, whatever progress she had made after her kidnapping had been destroyed and she fell into a deep depression. So deep that her mother brought her here in hopes that she would recover if she were away from where her family had lived. To a point it worked but only after a few years of intensive counseling." She takes off her glasses and wipes her eyes. "Sachiko was so strong and never gave up hope that her daughter would become her normal self again. Sayu has made progress and is by all accounts stable, but she doesn't feel she can survive in the normal world especially now with her mother dead so she stayed with us."

"But then I destroyed that progress," I say bitterly. "I brought back her pain."

The matron does not argue. "Yes, seeing you did upset her because she thought she had moved on from her brother's death, and her father's too. She connects her family with a great many things, almost all of which are very painful for her." She reaches out and puts a hand on my shoulder. "Which is why I was hoping that seeing you would help her associate her family with happier memories again. She's so focused on the bad that I was hoping you could show her the good."

"How can I do that if she just yells at me?" I ask, torn between wanting to flee and wanting to help my aunt.

"Just take it," replies the matron sternly. "If you want to help, then you just have to be there for her even if she yells or threatens or cries."

I think it over for a little while, on the one hand I can just leave and save Sayu from whatever demons are haunting her or I can stay, take whatever venom she has to give, and potentially have a relationship with my only living relative. Squaring my shoulders I look at the matron and I can tell she knows what my decision is, together we head back to the room where Sayu is.

My aunt sees us coming this time and seems to be ready for another verbal assault the moment the matron leaves. I decide to cut her off right away by taking the seat the matron had set up and turning it so the back is facing Sayu, then I sit down, facing away from her entirely.

"Now you don't have to look at me," I say before she can speak. "I thought about putting a bag over my face, but that seemed a bit extreme."

"I see," says Sayu, her tone still cold but at least she is speaking to me rather than yelling.

"I'll be back to check on you two soon," says the matron and I watch her leave, my heart pounding as we sit in what seems like an eternal silence.

"Do you want me to leave?" I ask once the silence has dragged to fifteen minutes.

There is no response so I prepare to stand when I feel a hand on my shoulder, keeping me in my place.

"Not yet," says Sayu, her voice barely audible and I sit back down.

Taking a cleansing breath I wonder if this means she is going to start talking, then the silence resumes and I begin to wonder if she really wants me here or she just does not want to get in trouble with the matron. Without much else to do, I pick up a pencil from the table beside me and start spinning it in my hand, waiting to be dismissed.

"He could do that too," Sayu says, her voice startling me. "Light, he could spin pencils like you can."

Glancing down at the pencil in my hand I spin it again. "I didn't know that."

"It was an interesting talent," continues Sayu, sounding a little reluctant. "My brother was an interesting person."

"So I hear," I reply, keeping my tone light and pleasant. "Look, Ms. Yagami, you don't have to make conversation with me if you don't want, especially if the matron told you to. I didn't mean to make it seem like I was forcing my presence on you, so if I did, I'm sorry."

More silence and for a moment I consider the possibility that she has just up and left me sitting here, talking to myself like some pompous idiot. I put the pencil down then stand up, this time Sayu does not stop me, and I head towards the exit prepared to tell the matron that I tried but she was not interested. Then I feel something grab my hand.

"Don't go," says Sayu, tugging harder on my hand. "I didn't mean to yell at you, but I was just surprised by how much you look like my brother. Matsuda said you have some of Misa's features too, yet all I saw when I met you was Light."

I dare not look at her, worried that I might upset her again. "I know you didn't, Ms. Yagami, I really do. It's probably better if I leave though, it's very apparent that my appearance is distressing to you."

Sayu squeezes my hand this time, hard. "God, you even sound like him. He would have said something similar in this situation . . . but he would've said that at the beginning."

This catches my attention. "What do you mean? Do you think he wouldn't have come back after being yelled at the first time?"

"My brother was many things, but compassionate wasn't always one of them," she replies, this time stroking my hand. "Don't get me wrong, he loved us, and I think cared enough to act concerned when it mattered. He just . . . couldn't be bothered sometimes with the little things. His priorities were different than most peoples' and it showed when it came to things like this."

"I'm sure he would have tried harder the first time instead of saving it for a second try," I counter, chancing a glance at her, and she has a sad smile on her lips.

"You might be right," agrees Sayu then she pulls on my hand so I have to turn around and face her. "Regardless of that, I'm glad you came back, Noriko."

I feel shame flood my face and I look away. "The matron told me to, she found me trying to call a taxi."

Sayu chuckles warmly. "If you didn't want to be here, you would have found a way to call the taxi, Noriko."

"I guess you're right," I say with a small laugh. "And you can call me 'Nori' if you prefer, everyone else does."

"No, I like 'Noriko' more," says Sayu and she looks up at me properly for the first time. "Well now, it seems there is some of Misa in your face after all, Noriko."

I relax a fraction. "Did you know my mother well, Ms. Yagami?"

Sayu frowns for a moment. "Don't call me that, Noriko, you can call me 'Aunt Sayu' instead. Makes me sound less matronly."

"Alright then, _Aunt Sayu_," I say, emphasizing the two words. "Did you know my mother well?"

"I did," she says, and we start to move back to where we were sitting before. "What do you want to know about her?"

"Everything you can tell me," I reply as I turn the chair so I am facing her as she moves her wheelchair back to where she had been previously. She looks at me with a sweetness I did not think any family member was possible of showing me, and I silently thank the matron for making me stay.


	15. Compromised

**A/N: Starts off L/Near POV and then continues as Noriko's. Enjoy!**

* * *

Monitor screens flash around me, displaying monotonous information that seems to be on permanent repeat, nothing really changes in this world and when it does I am sent in to deal with it so the world can return to its commonplace state. When the extraordinary happens the exceptional must be brought in to deal with it, just like when Aizawa requested my help for the Kira cult investigation. A case that seems to be hitting as many dead ends as breakthroughs at almost the same speed, causing a labyrinth of possibilities for how this could turn out.

There is a 75% chance that Kagami is connected, I am very certain of that, especially after digging into his background a little more. I feel a little foolish for not having kept a closer eye on him, he is after all Mikami's cousin and the possibility of Mikami influencing Kagami is staggering. While I am certain of Kagami's involvement, I cannot say the same for most of the people we have on our list of possible cult members, our parameters are so specific we could be eliminating very real threats. There have been a total of ten Kira cult related deaths in the last almost three months, since I entered Japan to investigate and since Noriko came into my care. We were close to adding another five to that list if we did not catch who was responsible soon.

Lidner is still hacking and Gevanni is moving to either get employed at the restaurant or Yotsuba, their dedication is admirable, and I was right to choose them for these assignments. After all this time they are still loyal and devoted soldiers in my army against injustice, just like Rester and Raku, the four of them an extension of my will and access to the world with me at the center holding everything together. The Task Force is clearly divided though most of them pretend otherwise. Matsuda does not trust me, never has, and that is expected of him considering we have conflicting ideals on how to conduct our work; Ide does not seem to care one way or another, simply going along with whatever Aizawa says, and he seems to trust me enough even though I have exerted my command over his investigation. Mogi seems to be more on Matsuda's side of the fence, especially after recent events, and this disappoints me because I always thought I could count on him to stand by my side. Regardless, it hardly matters in the end; I have enough resources at my disposal that a few unhappy detectives will not derail anything.

"L, Lidner's finished hacking into the restaurant security camera feed," says Raku, shaking me from my thoughts. Everyone else has gone home for the day, leaving just my core group of SPK members. "She's ready to show you what she's found when you're ready."

My eyes slide over to Lidner, her tight skin and immovable forehead betraying what she has been spending her salary on, and I nod to indicate that I am ready to see. She then brings up the feed on the monitor nearest me, it is of the front entrance and by the date I can see it is from a month ago, when the first lunch meeting took place. The person who enters ahead of the crowd is the female lawyer who murdered the arsonist who harmed her family, she carries herself with the typical confidence of a person who has not been properly challenged. She reminds me of Mello in a way, and it has nothing to do with her hair color. I watch as the lawyer speaks to the maître d and he escorts her away from the entrance much to the apparent chagrin of the other patrons, the camera changes view and I watch them cross the floor with such calm that nothing would appear out of the ordinary to anyone observing. With my trained eye, however, I can see the menus in the maître d's hand are trembling just a little and the lawyer is looking around far too much for someone who is only there for a casual lunch.

The camera switches and the lawyer is led to a booth at the very back of the room, the maître d speaks for a moment then heads away while she slips effortlessly into the booth chair. Her companion seems to already be there, sitting with his back to the camera no less, if her moving mouth is any indication. It would seem that her dining companion is as paranoid as myself, sitting with his back to the camera and even knowing where it is so he is not seen, perhaps he even knows where the other cameras are located.

"Lidner, is there any footage from before this showing her dining companion?" I ask, staring at the video.

"I'm afraid not," replies Lidner though I am hardly surprised. "This restaurant opens at one pm every day, and they do not turn on their security cameras until maybe five minutes after opening."

"I see," I say. "And the lunches are scheduled for one-o-five pm, an unusual time but one that allows our suspect the opportunity to slip in before the cameras are to be turned on, ensuring he is not seen. He is also influential enough to be allowed in ahead of the other customers and given the seat he wants." The footage continues to play out and I see a waiter appear, pours some water then leaves. "Is the same waiter present at every meeting?"

Linder nods. "Yes, it's always the same one, and he only tends to this table while it is occupied, when it isn't he moves on but until then he stays close. Do you suspect he has some knowledge of these meetings?"

I do but I do not say that aloud. "It's possible but it's almost certain that he has seen the face of our suspect and is probably on friendly terms. He could also be the one who allows our suspect into the restaurant before the cameras turn on. Gevanni, how is it progressing with gaining access to either this restaurant or Yotsuba?"

Gevanni snorts. "It'd honestly be easier to put myself into Yotsuba than this restaurant. They want full security checks, almost government level, with five references all from past employers, full details about prior arrests and other shit no one should care about a waiter producing. Yotsuba requires a standard background check, three references, and maybe your transcripts. Whatever's going on, the restaurant is more of a front than anything else."

"Who owns it?" I ask, though I already suspect it is someone with strong ties to Kira.

"A woman named Katsumi Watoga and her husband," replies Raku. "From what I could gather, the waiter that shows preference to that table is her eldest son, Ryūji."

I smirk. "Did you look into who Katsumi Watoga was before she married?"

Raku hesitates then begins doing a quick search on her computer, I hear her gasp and I know she has stumbled across the answer to my question. Truly I did not know who this Katsumi Watoga was before now but given the premise that she has strong ties to Kira, it limited the pool of possibilities to a select few and two connections to that pool have already been discovered.

"Her maiden name was 'Takada'," says Raku, sounding shaken. "She's Kiyomi Takada's little sister and her husband used to work at Yotsuba before they opened the restaurant. L, there are too many coincidences here, we should shut that whole place down now."

"As much as I agree, that would not be beneficial to the investigation," I say calmly. "Now that we know who owns this restaurant, it should not be too difficult to track the money, and it is unlikely she inherited her sister's money after her death. That was all left to Light Yagami, who transferred the funds into a trust fund shortly before his death. By my calculations, Noriko is a multi-millionaire thanks to her parents."

Lidner huffs. "Back on topic. If we trace back the money and look more into the Yotsuba workers, who do you suspect we'll find at the center of all this?"

"I'm twenty percent sure it'll be Kagami," I reply not giving away my absolute certainty that this man is the puppet master behind the Kira cult's latest behavior. "What I want to know is if he's been pulling strings for so long, what has spurred him on to act like this? He goes from killing a few people a year to several people a month. What could be the cause?"

"Perhaps Noriko was right when she suggested the cult was being cleansed?" suggests Givanni and I bristle, the memory of that day still bitingly fresh no matter how long ago it was. "Maybe Kagami thought there were too many hypocrites and decided to get rid of them."

"And decided to use them to kill some dangerous criminals as well," supplies Raku as she nods thoughtfully. "An effective means of cleaning his following, carrying out Kira's supposed work, and spreading Kira's name to others. Truly well thought out if not completely demented."

"Still, these are assumptions," I say, refocusing my investigators to me again. "We must first determine if Kagami is truly the puppeteer behind the Kira cult or if he himself is just a pawn, and we must figure out where and when they are meeting. That way we can be sure of exactly who we're dealing with."

"You want to do this even without Noriko's help?" asks Gevanni, sounding uncertain.

I nod. "Noriko has gotten us far, that much is true, but we must still function even when she is not present. Speaking of which, Raku, could you give me the name and contact information of the policeman watching Noriko while Matsuda is with your son?"

Raku nods. "I will soon, L. Now, should we begin looking into those other names on the list? The ones unrelated to Yotsuba directly."

"Yes, I want to see if there are things we're missing before we proceed," I say, rolling my shoulders, even after all of this time I am still unused to sitting this way for too long. "Start with the least likely candidates then work your way up, and Raku, look into anyone even vaguely connected with Kagami. Something tells me I'm not wrong to suspect him. Gevanni, insert yourself into Yotsuba as quietly as you can. Lidner, please assist Raku in searching through our list of suspects, the one that Noriko doesn't know about."

The three of them nod and go to their respective stations without another word and I bring up what is hidden on my screen. It is a compiled data sheet of dates and times the virtual calendars of every confirmed Kira cultist, there is another connection besides the lunch meetings, one that I am sure no one has thought to look at. _'Now, how many others had PTA meetings on the same day?'_

* * *

_The crowd of people closed in around me and I could barely see, I tried to push my way through, but the legs of everyone around me did not yield to my wishes. I was scared, I could not see a way out of here and with my small size I could barely move around in the small area I was in currently. The urge to cry was overwhelming and I almost did when the sea of legs parted and standing above me was my father, concern and relief in his friendly eyes._

'_Noriko!' said Light, kneeling down to embrace me tightly. 'I was so worried I'd lost you, sweetie. Don't ever scare Daddy like that again.'_

'_I won't,' I said, my voice small and childlike. 'I'm sorry I worried you, Daddy.'_

_Light pulled away and smiled at me, wiping away tears I did not know I had shed. 'It's alright, Nori.' He then stood up and extended his hand to me. 'Now hold my hand so we don't get separated, okay?'_

_Eagerly I reached up and took his hand, his touch felt warm and loving, looking up I saw the smile still gracing his face and for a moment I thought I was looking at a kind angel._

I wake up and everything is dark, for a moment I think that I am in some kind of hell that Light put me in thanks to the dream, and then my senses come to me. I can feel the futon on my back and the blanket on my body, the darkness recedes enough that I can make out some of Sayu's room and I can hear her breathing on the bed above me as she sleeps. Tentatively I reach up and touch my face, my fingers graze fresh tear tracks and I curse myself for allowing them to be there in the first place. The dream was so real that it could have been a genuine memory, actually it is or it was. It was a memory from when I was four or five, I had gotten separated from Matsuda and Raku when we were out shopping one day and he had found me in a crowd of people. Recently this had been happening a lot, my memories involving Matsuda were being replaced with Light instead.

I thought before that Light might be doing it himself, like when he had been sending me the dreams while he was in the Shinigami realm, but now I think it is my subconscious and the weaker part of my heart wishing for a different outcome. That feeling only intensified after this weekend with Sayu, she told me so many stories about Light from before he was Kira and as much as it makes me sick to admit it, I found myself wishing to know that part of my father. The caring, intelligent Light who made his parents proud and looked after his sister like he was her personal protector. It is not the first time I feel robbed of something amazing.

'_You're pathetic, lamenting the loss of something you'll never know,'_ I scold, as I slam my eyes shut. _'Light died the moment he touched that notebook, the one you know is all that's left of him and he's not about to become something he isn't.'_

"Noriko," whispers Sayu, apparently now awake, probably because of my crying. "Noriko, honey, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Aunt Sayu," I say quietly, smiling up at her even though she cannot see me in the dark. "Hey, Aunt Sayu, would it be alright if I came and visited you again?"

Sayu chuckles, a sound I very much enjoy. "Already planning the next visit, huh? I see nothing wrong with you coming as often as you can, maybe you can spend your winter holiday with me. That is, if Matsuda and his wife don't mind sharing you."

"I don't think that would be a problem," I say sincerely. "I've really enjoyed meeting you, it's nice to hear about my grandparents and father."

"And it's nice to talk about them," says Sayu kindly. "I haven't thought about all of this in so long that it almost felt like a dream." She falls silent for a moment. "I wish you could have met them, Noriko, they all would have loved you."

"Even Light?" I whisper, almost regretting the fact I even asked.

"Especially him," replies Sayu and I can hear a smile in her voice. "He would have spoiled you rotten, loved you to pieces, and been prouder than any father alive. He never said it out loud but I knew he wanted to be a father when he grew up, and you would have been the daughter he always wanted, Noriko."

'_It almost sounds genuine when it comes from her,'_ I muse as I sit up. "I wish I had a picture of him, I don't have anything to remember him or my mother by."

"I can fix that in the morning," yawns Sayu. "Now, go to sleep, we're having pancakes in the morning for breakfast."

I smile as I settle back into bed. "You've twisted my arm. Good night."

* * *

The next morning I get up before Sayu and creep into the washroom, preparing to shower, when the water begins to run I head back to the sink in order to grab my face wash then I look into the mirror and nearly scream. Light is standing behind me.

"What are you doing here?" I hiss, my voice not likely heard over the sound of the water running. "I told you to come later."

"I know, but I was impatient," replies Light with a shrug. "It's been a while since I was by your side and I can only take so much of the praise heaped on me by Parisa's family."

My grip on the bottle of face wash tightens. "No, you were curious to see where I had gone and I know you well enough to know that you could take years of praise and worship. You're probably here to try and convince me to give up the notebook again, right? Well, I'm not going to give up possession, not unless you kill me I suppose."

"I would never kill you, Noriko," says Light and something flashes in his eyes, it is almost like another person was behind his eyes. I have seen that before with him, like there are two people battling for control of one body and every so often the other one will come out for a moment. "And anyway, you have to stop Kagami before we can proceed with any plans."

"Yes, the group from the meeting I attended have already killed," I say with a sigh. "When I look into it when I return to headquarters, I'm sure I'll find another week's worth of meetings. Something is bothering me though and maybe you could offer some insight."

Light smirks as he averts his eyes and I step into the shower. "You're asking me for insight? Has hell frozen over?"

"Don't get too happy," I say with a snort. "What's bugging me is if these meetings are as big as I think they are, then Kagami has a pool of possible sacrifices to choose from in less than a week before he sets up these meetings. How does he know who to pick and what happens to the people he doesn't?"

"The obvious answer is he's already aware of their crimes," says Light thoughtfully. "And he picks the ones he finds the most egregious, saving the others for a time when he runs out of high profile scandals. Or he already has specific people in mind and just uses the PTA meetings as a way of disguising the fact he's systematically eliminating certain individuals."

I mull over his words as the water rushes over me. _'The first murderers were all linked in some way, that can't be coincidence. I mean, what are the odds that Kagami just happened to find five people who are someone connected to each other? No, Light's right with that last theory, Kagami is doing this deliberately; he knows who he wants to kill and has everything arranged beforehand. The people who throng up to him at the end of his service are just a means of hiding the fact that he's intentionally killing members of his cult. That bastard has to be stopped.'_

"Tell me something, Light," I say as I continue washing. "When you first gave me the notebook, why did you have it piled on those apples? And why did Ryuk write that note to me?"

"Has this been bothering you too?" asks Light, sounding triumphant. "Well, being the considerate person I am, I'll tell you. The pile of apples were to make sure you saw the Death Note, and that only you saw it. I intended for no one else to get their hands on it and I didn't want you to pass it by. And as for the note, that has to do with the fact that Ryuk wasn't the true owner of the notebook in the first place. He could visit you unseen but you had to have the Death Note in front of him in order for you to see him at least the first time; that's the watered down version anyway, the real one has to do with the many rules governing the _Shinigami_."

I smirk. "And why couldn't you just come down and give me the notebook in the first place?"

"That's none of your concern," he says quickly and I can tell he is intent on hiding something, probably the fact he broke a rule or two in order to come down here.

"Fine," I say with a shrug. "Anyway, it's not of much interest to me, I was just curious considering you do everything with a purpose. Like this sudden appearance, you didn't just do this on a whim or for the reasons you mentioned earlier, so why are you really here?"

"I had to make sure Near and the others hadn't done something with you," says Light nonchalantly. "I know you said you wanted me to return this evening but I didn't understand why you chose such a specific time frame. I thought maybe Near was going to be interrogating you or something of that nature."

"Worried about your legacy, huh?" I ask scathingly. "Well, I'm fine. Although I do think Near is trying to keep an even closer eye on me than should be allowed."

"What do you mean?" asks Light, sounding curious.

I rinse the soap from my body as I search for the words to explain. "There was this guy, Ritsu Saga, I've seen him around school before and he was at the tennis try-outs. I think L hired him in order to keep an eye on me, since he probably thinks Matsuda and the others are slacking."

Light hums. "That does sound like Near, but what makes you think it's this guy Saga?"

I turn off the water and reach for the towel outside of the shower curtain. "Call me naïve if you want, but I don't find it completely normal for a man whom has never spoken to a specific girl before introduces himself then invites her and her friends to an exclusive restaurant for dinner almost in the same sentence. I might have seen him before and he might have known who I am, but it still doesn't add up to him more or less asking me out after speaking less than fifty words to me."

"Noriko, you're starting to sound paranoid," says Light slowly. "It's not entirely out of the realm of possibility that he's simply had a crush on you and was acting on those feelings."

"Either way, I devised a test," I say as I step out of the shower, my voice lower to keep Sayu from hearing me. "He asked for my number and I gave him a false one that is close to my own, based on his reaction to it, I'll know whether or not he works for L."

Light looks somewhat perplexed. "So if he asks why you gave him a fake number, you'll know he works for L? And if he says something else you'll know you can trust him? While I see the merit, I can't exactly agree with the execution. You could have simply interrogated him with some well placed questions to see what his intentions are."

I glare at Light. "I'm sorry I don't have your foresight for dealing with possible spies, now go away, I have to get dressed."

"Fine, what time will you be back at headquarters?" asks Light as his wings materialize.

"Probably close to four," I reply, hoping he leaves soon, it is uncomfortable standing in a washroom with my father and me in nothing but a semi-wet towel. "I'll text Parisa when I'm back."

"Good, see you soon then," he says then he flies through the roof and I exhale a breath I have been holding. He leaves just as I hear Sayu moving around in the other room.

* * *

Breakfast is a bittersweet affair, we laugh and talk but we know this is the last day we get to spend together for a while, and I wish Matsuda had introduced me to her sooner than this. My aunt is probably the kindest, sweetest, most caring woman I have ever met and this weekend has gone by far too quickly for my liking, I want more time with her and not just to discuss my birth parents. Part of me wishes that I had been given to her and my grandmother to be raised instead of Matsuda and Raku, but as she explained on the first night I was there, when I was born she was in this institution and my grandmother was too busy caring for her to look after a new baby. She told me that Misa did call to let them know that I was going to be born though, so they knew I was alive.

"I have a present for you," says Sayu as the dishes are cleared away. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a necklace with an oval shaped pendent dangling from the chain. "It was my mother's, your grandmother's necklace."

I take it from her hand and examine the necklace, finding that the pendent is actually a locket and I open it to see a family portrait of my grandparents, Sayu, and Light.

"That was taken when Light first started high school," says Sayu with a sad smile. "I was maybe ten at the time and he had just turned fourteen. Mom and Dad insisted on having a proper family portrait and there it is, the last one of all four of us together in a non-special occasion setting."

"It's beautiful," I say as I stare at the faces frozen in time, my eyes are glued to Light's face, he is smiling and it seems genuine, he has his arm around Sayu's back and she's leaning into him, smiling wider than I thought a person could. My grandparents are standing behind them, Soichiro has one arm wrapped around Sachiko's shoulders and his other hand is on Light's shoulder, he looks incredibly strong and capable yet still kind and seems proud of his family. Sachiko has a hand on Sayu's shoulder and her other is behind Soichiro's back, it almost looks like the four of them are embracing and I am jealous, I would never get to have this.

Sayu makes a sound of agreement then reaches into her other pocket and pulls out something small, it turns out to be an oval shaped picture of Misa. "I wanted to put this in there before I gave it to you, but I don't think it matters if you put it in there yourself."

I smile and take the picture, sliding it easily into the blank space in the empty half of the locket. "Now I have my whole family with me."

"Exactly," says Sayu, tears shining in her big brown eyes. "Wear that and know that even though they might be gone, your family is always with you. I might not have been there from the beginning but I hope you'll let me be a part of your life now."

"Of course I will, Aunt Sayu," I say, feeling my eyes brimming with tears. "I know I can't really call you here, but I'll send you letters every week and visit you on my holidays. Maybe in a couple of years, I can live with you."

Sayu smiles brightly despite her tears. "Maybe you can, Noriko, but we'll see. I do expect those letters though, and I definitely want to see you at Christmas. Just clear it with your parents before we make any concrete plans."

I try to speak but my voice falters and I nod instead, smiling to reassure of any suspicion. Telling her about my current situation and how my life has been a complete lie is something I have been yearning to do since I met her, yet doing so would require explaining about her brother and father's deaths. That would only bring her more pain and she might even call me a liar and tell me to never come back. Even though I have only known her for a weekend, Sayu seems to be the only adult and family member that I can completely trust; it is just too bad the secrets I have would probably kill her to hear.

* * *

Matsuda arrives that afternoon just as Sayu and I come back from her afternoon outing, bright leaves on her lap that we had collected so the staff could decorate for the fall season. He comes over to us and smiles brightly when he sees Sayu, although I can see the guilt and sorrow in his eyes.

"I hope Nori wasn't too much trouble, Sayu," says Matsuda as a nurse comes out with my bags.

Sayu waves her hand dismissively. "Oh not at all, Mr. Matsuda, she was a perfect guest. I hope you and your wife wouldn't mind parting with her again sometime, I've really enjoyed visiting with her."

"I'll see what I can do," replies Matsuda with a nervous laugh that he quickly disguises as something more cheerful. "Are you ready to go, honey?"

I nod. "Yeah, I'm ready." I then bend down and embrace Sayu tightly, probably tighter than I meant to, but she just hugs me back even tighter. "It was so nice to meet you, Aunt Sayu, I can't wait for my next visit."

"Neither can I, Noriko," says Sayu as we pull away. "Be safe and don't get yourself into any trouble." She then bursts out laughing. "I sounded exactly like my mother there, oh god I'm getting old."

"No you're not," I say with a grin then I follow Matsuda to the car, waving to her the entire time, barely keeping an eye on where I am walking which ends with me almost bumping into the car.

Even when I get in, I am still waving, tears stinging my eyes like tiny needles as I watch her sitting at the top of the stairs with the nurse, waving back at me. My free hand trails down to my newly acquired locket, gripping it through the fabric of my shirt and that eases the pain in my heart just enough to put my waving hand down. Matsuda starts up the car and begins pulling away, going down the long and winding road back towards the city.

* * *

It is not too long before we are back at headquarters, the time having flown faster than I would have liked but I cannot change that now. As Matsuda pulls into the garage, I reach into my pocket and turn on my phone, finding my inbox full of messages. I sigh when I see one that says it is from Ritsu, confirming my suspicions at least in my mind that he is working with L. I text him back as well as Izumi and Mana before shooting a quick coded text to Parisa to send Light back to me now. If he asks what I was doing, I will tell him I was visiting a relation but lie about the relative's identity, I do not want him to get Sayu mixed up in all of this.

Matsuda and I are quiet as we head back up to the headquarters' main room, the two of us sharing the burden of my luggage, and as we near the door I suddenly feel something deep in my gut. It is similar to what I felt when Matsuda first brought me here for L's evaluation, an intangible fear that is posing some sort of danger to me; being reminded of this, I almost run back to the elevator so I can escape, knowing that the last time I had been right about the danger. I entered this building and found myself trapped, my life in shambles, and my desire to kill even stronger.

Something, probably stubborn pride, keeps me walking towards the door and when it opens I immediately regret several choices in life. I am grabbed and pulled away from Matsuda, whom is also being restrained by one member of the SPK and one member of the Task Force, I manage to get a look at my captors and see Mogi and Ide behind me with blank looks.

"What's going on?" shouts Matsuda as I am brought towards L while he is forcefully drug to the side to stand with Raku. "Near, what the hell are you doing?"

L says nothing, his gaze fixed solely on me as I am brought before him like a prisoner being brought out of a dungeon. Without looking he motions to the blonde SPK member. "Lidner, search her bags and then her person, we must be sure she is not in possession of it."

'_What has he found out?'_ is all I can wonder as Lidner begins tearing through my satchel, my books and notebooks opened and shaken mercilessly. The woman is as diligent in her work as she is quick and after she is done tearing through my suitcase, she stands back up and nods as if to indicate that nothing suspicious has been discovered.

"Noriko Yagami," says L and I look at him, masking my fear and anxiety with what I hope is a calm expression, "we have reason to believe that you are associated with the Kira cult and as such, we are formally announcing our suspicion of you as a potential Kira."

"On what grounds?" I ask, swallowing the lump that threatened to render me speechless.

L glances at Matsuda who is still struggling against his restrainers. "Recent evidence in our investigation suggests that Osamu Kagami is the man at the center of the cult, and that evidence has come to throw your actions into question." He looks me straight in the eye before he continues, "In his calendar he has specific dates marked, 'Meetings' and each one of them corresponds with certain schools' PTA meetings. Almost a week later he is having lunch meetings with various individuals, who have some connection to these schools through their children. You attended one of these meetings almost three months ago, along with your friend Parisa Saito, this casts you both in suspicion of conspiring with the Kira cult. And given your familial connections, leads me to believe that you might have come into Kira's power. What do you have to say for yourself?"

I cannot believe what I am hearing, he has everything figured out and faster than I had hoped! This whole little act is to provoke a reaction out of me, one he would expect from a guilty person being backed into a corner, perhaps he thinks that he has won. _'That smug, white haired bastard!'_

"It doesn't matter what I have to say," I reply softly. "You're already convinced that I'm in league with the cult and Kira, the only thing I can do now is prove my innocence."

L does not betray whether or not he expected my response, instead he merely nods. "Yes, that's exactly what you'll have to do as well as live with some new rules. First and foremost, Matsuda will no longer be your primary chaperone, he has proven himself compromised and therefore incapable of performing his duties."

"What are you talking about?" demands Matsuda, though we both know to what L is referring.

"You lied to me," says L flatly and I know that is a dangerous tone from him. "You said you would be watching Noriko while she was away and you didn't, you lied to Raku that you had someone watching her and you didn't. Instead, you left her alone to her own devices and hoped that you would be able to pull the wool over my eyes." He smirks. "You should have looked more into the man you asked to lie for you, as a compulsive gambler he was easy to gain information from."

Matsuda looks slightly aghast and defeated. "Yes, alright, I lied and left Nori alone with her aunt. I know it goes against my duty but I don't regret it. In fact, I'm glad I did it, doing this proved that Nori can be trusted by herself. She isn't Kira and she isn't Light, if she were then she would have taken full advantage of the fact she was alone and done something." He dares to smile at L. "And you can suspect her all you want, but there isn't any evidence."

"If you say so," replies L, his gaze still fixed squarely on me. "Anyway, Noriko, Lidner will be assigned as your new chaperone. She might prove more capable."

I have to resist against grinning, and the struggle is incredibly difficult. _'Bad move, L, you just showed the Task Force that you don't have any faith in their ability to keep personal feelings out of duty. You don't trust them at all.'_

"That's fine," I say, glancing at Lidner. "Am I still allowed to attend school and maintain my social life?"

L nods. "Yes, it would seem suspicious if you suddenly ceased all activity. Do keep in mind that Miss Saito will also be monitored by my associates, so don't think to slip away again. Your room will be searched at random times to make sure you are not harboring any cult paraphernalia and if you do go out, you must submit a written account of what you plan to do and what you actually did. This will be compared against Lidner's report, any inconsistencies will be grounds for changes to your freedoms and liberties, am I understood?"

"Perfectly," I say and I am let go.

"Good," says L in a clipped tone. "Now, I'm not the heartless monster it is likely you think me to be, and as a gesture of goodwill I am prepared to give you an opportunity to prove your innocence."

This takes me by surprise; initially L said that he would not assist me in proving myself innocent should I be accused of something. "How?"

L's lips curl into a terrifying grin. "By bringing down the cult from the inside."


	16. Assembly

**A/N: Sorry about the delay. I know it's a short chapter, but it should be interesting! Enjoy.**

* * *

'_Damn it, damn it, damn it!'_ I curse as I walk down the university courtyard's path. _'How could I screw up so badly? I thought I had the situation under control.'_

"How could you overlook something so important?" rages Light behind me. "Of course Parisa and her family would be on the list, they fit the profile you and Near set up for crying out loud! You gave yourself away by not including her family on the list, it showed who you considered to be your ally. It was the perfect opportunity for him to trap you like this."

Light's words just bounce off of me harmlessly, he is not saying anything I have not thought of already ten times over since Sunday, and it really irritates me that I cannot yell about it like he can. Honestly, I wish he did not know about the situation, but I hardly have a choice now; he arrived just as L was going over why he was formally bringing me under suspicion. I truly am amazed that Light did not just assassinate everyone including me when he stumbled on to the scene.

"What's your plan now, Noriko?" demands Light as I sit on a bench calmly, pulling out a book I had in my satchel. "You and Parisa can't exactly go off together anymore, you're both being followed and she still has the notebook."

'_If Ryuk's done his job and kept an eye out for tails, then she doesn't,'_ I think as I turn a page, I am not actually reading but rather waiting and trying to look occupied.

When I asked her to take over as Kira, Parisa and I actually came up with a contingency plan should this ever happen, and it is likely already in motion. Should she discover she is being followed, Parisa is to hide the notebook someplace where only she can find it, if something happens then she will give me instructions on how to find it but until then I am not to know where it is hidden. People will still die from now until the last date in the notebook, and our methods are similar enough that should anyone suspect a Kira they will only suspect one rather than two. I did this deliberately to ensure that only one of us would get caught and the other would still be able to continue killing, and since the methods are so alike, the authorities would be forced to release the other one. Right now, we at least have the advantage that killings will continue; we are at a disadvantage because L suspects both of us.

The courtyard is hardly empty, though I know whose footsteps are getting nearer and I do not look up from my book, forcing myself to remain calm as I wait for what I am here for.

"She did it," says Ryuk and I can hear the shrug in his voice. "She showed me where and I can show you when you want. And it's that big guy with blonde hair following us, he's not very good at it but he's a pain. Good luck on your end, Nori."

I nod slowly, like I am reading something insightful and they continue on walking. _'So L has Rester following Parisa, that makes sense, he's the one person not formally part of the investigation team and therefore more likely to have L's trust. Plus it's likely he thinks that because Rester has not been around much, I would have no reason to suspect him being involved. Well played L, well played.'_

Now that I know the notebook is safe and who is following Parisa, I can breathe just a smidge easier; this only means that we are not in any immediate danger but we still have a great deal more to get through before we can say we are free. Our freedom will come at a cost, but it is the only way.

Even though Parisa is gone, I remain on the bench, the book still in front of my eyes as I patiently wait for a decent length of time to pass before I get up to leave. If Lidner is really watching, and I am sure she is, then it will definitely look suspicious for me to get up just moments after Parisa passes me; she would really know that we had something planned then. Light continues to throw a tantrum behind me and I ignore him as best as I can.

"This whole situation is because you're careless!" he shouts, tangling his fingers in his hair. "You didn't think that Near would look into Parisa, did you? You thought you were smarter than him and that you could head him off before something came up, a stupid assumption on your part I might add. L, no matter who holds the title, is always three steps ahead when you first meet him and stays that way unless you're four steps ahead of him before you meet!"

'_Well, that would have certainly come in handy before now,'_ I think scathingly as I turn the page, not really reading. _'Anything else useful you want to tell me now before I get executed?'_

"The only good thing about this is you'll be able to stop Kagami," says Light after a few moments of simply fuming. "He's tarnished my name for too long and you need to make sure he can never do it again."

'_Then why don't you just kill him and get it over with?'_ I think bitterly as I check my phone, determining that enough time has passed that it will not look strange if I leave now.

I put the book in my satchel as casually as I can manage, then stand up before slinging the strap over my shoulder, adjusting my shirt so it is smooth before proceeding out of the courtyard my gaze focused elsewhere as I think over the situation. Light is right about something having L know, or at least strongly suspect, that Kagami is involved in the cult is obviously a benefit since now I can openly investigate him without rousing too much suspicion. Not that that matters now since I am suspected, but it could be worse, they could have found the Death Note.

I am so deep in my thoughts that I do not notice someone in my way and I bump right into them. "I'm so sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going," I say as I recover then I see it is Ritsu and I manage to only frown slightly.

Ritsu smiles shyly at me. "It's fine, Noriko, it was my fault anyway." He clears his throat and seems a little nervous, his eyes dart around as if he is looking for something or someone.

"I guess I'll be going then," I say slowly and begin walking when something grips my wrist, I look down to see his hand wrapped around it. "Was there something else you needed, Ritsu?"

He suddenly seems to remember himself and lets go of my wrist immediately. "Sorry, I uh, well, have been wondering why you gave me a fake number?"

I smile as convincingly as I can though inside I am burning with rage. "It was nothing against you, I just wanted to see if you were serious about wanting to communicate with me and you obviously are if you figured out I gave you a false number. How did you know?"

"I asked Mana," he replies smoothly and I have a feeling he is lying. "She told me that you did the same thing to her and Izumi, so she gave me your number. I hope you aren't mad."

"Not at all," I say as I move towards the courtyard's exit. "I haven't seen you much this week, what have you been up to?"

Ritsu shrugs. "Studying mostly, I have a few practical exams coming up and I need to pass these if I have any prayer of getting into medical school."

I raise an eyebrow. "You want to be a doctor?"

"Yeah, more than anything," he says, hidden passion in his tone. "To-Oh has a great medical school, that's why I wanted to attend. I'm pre-med right now, and believe me, it's not as easy as it is on TV."

"I would imagine not," I say with a slight laugh, which rings a little more false than I had hoped. "I'm amazed that you have time at all for a social life, preparing to become a doctor must take a great deal of your time."

"It certainly does," says Ritsu with a worn smile. "Although, even if I could change this, I wouldn't. I've always wanted to be a doctor and even if I have to spend hours in the library studying and pass up the chance at having the university experience, it'll be worth it in the end. What about you, what are you majoring in?"

"Criminology," I reply and he grins. "I want to become a detective someday, like some of my family." It sounds so childish when I say it out loud, like I am holding onto some kind of dream that has no chance of being fulfilled.

Ritsu nods thoughtfully. "Being a detective would suit you, I can tell. Maybe I'll become a coroner and we can work together."

"Maybe," I say with what I hope is a kind smile. "Anyway, I should be off, hopefully I'll see you around school."

"We could go out," Ritsu blurts out just as I start to leave again. "I mean if you want to that is, I'm sure you're pretty busy."

"Let me think about it," I say genuinely, and I mean it, I really have to think this over before agreeing. "See you later, Ritsu."

"Bye, Noriko!" he shouts probably louder than necessary and I have to fight the urge to run as fast and as far as I can.

* * *

"He seems nice," says Light as we walk towards headquarters. "A little on the skittish side but nice all the same. Are you sure he's working for Near? He doesn't seem the type."

"He answered my question regarding my phone number a little too easily," I mutter, keeping my voice down as low as I can where Light can still hear me. "It's very possible he spoke with Mana but I doubt it, he probably got my number from L."

Light rolls his eyes. "Whatever Noriko, just as long as you don't let your paranoia cause more mistakes I'll humor you."

"How nice," I snap before meeting up with Lidner outside of the building.

We say nothing to each other as she enters some codes into the keypad and scans her hand and eye, the door opening only after she has completed the security checks. She gestures for me to go in first and I do, Lidner follows in after me, her mere presence directing me towards the main room where the rest of the investigation team is likely waiting for our return. Light's eyes are boring into the back of my skull, his anger flaring to a dangerous height that might result in a blood bath if I am not extremely careful about how I proceed from here.

"Nice to see you, Noriko," says L as we enter, his grey eyes locked right on me. "I trust there were not any incidents today?"

A scathing remark is on the tip of my tongue and I force myself not to give it life, it will only makes things worse. "Ask Lidner," I say calmly before sitting down beside him, my school satchel at my feet.

Lidner comes over and takes my satchel, upturning it and dumping the contents on the floor, she searches the bag first before looking at everything on the floor. This has become a common ritual lately, nothing I own or that belongs to me is sacred, and I may as well be a specimen under glass.

"Nothing to report," says Lidner as she drops my satchel on top of my things and I leave my seat in order to clean it up. I hear Matsuda make a disapproving sound but I do not look at him, having him as my ally has done nothing except bring him misery. It is better this way not to continue relying on him, fewer people to disappoint in the long run.

"Good," says L and Light clenches his fist. "Noriko, I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that we have begun moving against Kagami. We've started to devise a plan that should help us gather enough evidence against him that we can arrest him for conspiracy to commit murder and solicitation for murder."

"What have you thought of?" I ask, not even bothering to try and figure it out for myself.

L stares intently at me, as if trying to figure out a difficult puzzle. "We're going to do exactly as I said to you before, bring it down from the inside."

'_He's baiting me, wanting me to give my observations about possible plans,'_ I think as I stare at the screen in front of me. _'Fine, L, I'll play your game and rise to the challenge.'_

"You're not going to kill him," I say slowly. "He's too valuable alive and his death may cause the cult to rise against the police or other figures of authority, causing anarchy and chaos. The best way would be to trick him somehow into revealing exactly what he plans on doing to someone in the investigation directly; the investigator would have to be wearing a wire of course, and whoever you choose to speak with Kagami isn't going to be someone who shouldn't know anything, which is why it won't be Gevanni. He's working at Yotsuba as a mid-level man, so he isn't privileged enough to know something like what Kagami does in his spare time."

"A flawless line of reasoning," compliments L. "You're right, we don't want Kagami dead, his death would only complicate matters. We do intend to trick him into revealing what he wants done to someone close to the cult, not someone who isn't supposed to know of his affiliation such as Gevanni."

I let out a breath I have been holding, relieved that I was able to deduce his plan.

"How do you plan on accomplishing this?" I ask, knowing it is an appropriate question.

"We plan on gathering intel," explains L and he gestures for me to look at the screen. "The restaurant is the key to Kagami's undoing, that much is clear; the only thing we're missing is the lock."

I look at the screen and see several still shots from security footage of many of the restaurant's staff. Glancing at the dates I see that they are during the week that Kagami was having lunch with cult members and a few of the pictures even have captured stills of some of the cultists. There is something I am supposed to be seeing or at least something L wants me to see, so I pay close attention to the faces of the people.

Most of the staff seems oblivious to what is going on around them, completely absorbed in their own tables but there is one boy who is focused on one table completely. His image is captured almost exclusively around one table and that seems to be the table where the maître d is leading the cultists. Logic would dictate that this boy is the lock but if that were so then L would not have had me look at these pictures, there is something else here that he wants me to find, something just as crucial as the boy. That is when I notice the maître d; he is always the one bringing the cultists to the table where the boy works at, so he knows just as much as the boy does as far as their identities.

"You should interrogate the maître d for information," I say suddenly.

L does not betray any indication that I am right or wrong. "Why do you say so?"

"He probably knows more than the waiter," I say as I point at the maître d as he stands at the front area. "In all these images, he's personally leading the cultists to the table but he doesn't do that with any other customers; he knows who to look for and probably their names. The waiter just knows to serve whoever is brought to the table; he doesn't know anything of value until maybe after the start of the conversation if he remains close. The maître d knows well in advanced whom he should expect."

"Excellent deduction," says L and he switches the images. "I came to the same conclusion when watching the security footage. The maître d likely is the person we need to speak to if we want information about who the cultists are meeting with and which ones they are if we are to save their lives and stop Kagami."

"Do you already have the man in custody?" I ask, sure that L has already made that move.

L nods. "Yes, we do. We're lucky that he has a record for petty theft and we were able to bring him in for questioning this morning about a recent incident. I plan on interrogating him momentarily, but I will need your help. You have a good grasp on body language and how to detect deception, do you not?" I nod and so does he. "So I will use you to gauge how accurate his statements are and to look for possible openings that may give us the opportunity to gather more information."

"You mean look for clues as to what we can use to break him," I say, understanding the layman's terms beneath the jargon.

"To put it bluntly," replies L and he brings up a live feed of an interrogation room with a man sitting alone at a metal table. I recognize the room as one at NPA headquarters. "This is Shiro Umeda, the maître d of the Blue Dove. Shall we begin?"

"Sure," I say and L presses a button on his computer.

"Mr. Umeda, can you hear me?" asks L.

"_Who . . . who is that?_" asks Umeda, sounding terrified as he looks around the interrogation room. "_Why am I here? I had nothing to do with the shoplifting at that department store._"

"He's lying, but that's beside the point," I say quietly to L as I watch him. "If he's this scared already, he won't cooperate easily. He'll need incentive to betray his employer and possibly Kagami."

"Mr. Umeda, you have nothing to fear from me," says L convincingly. "I am the detective known as L and am here to request your assistance and cooperation on a very serious matter."

Umeda's fear momentarily leaves his face and is replaced with amusement. "_Are you serious? This has to be a joke, what could be so important that someone like L would want to speak with me?_"

I smirk despite myself. "It's interesting that he actually believes L is a real person; most outside law enforcement don't even consider the possibility. The general opinion is that he's an organization with many members, not a single person."

"He must have been briefed about the possibility of encountering me," says L, making sure that Umeda cannot hear our conversation. "Mikami likely knew thanks to Light that the title of L is typically held by one individual and he passed that information along to Kagami, who in turn told his cult. While I don't like the idea that the information may have been compromised, it certainly makes things easier when I don't have to convince him of my existence."

"How are you going to proceed?" asks Lidner and I have to keep myself calm.

"I will proceed as planned," replies L simply before he resumes his conversation with Umeda. "Mr. Umeda, what I wish to discuss with you is a matter of national security, and not simply for Japan. All nations are in jeopardy at the moment and only you can assist me in assuaging the danger."

"_What's all this about?_" asks Umeda. "_I know I have a past as a petty crook, but I've been reformed, I found religion and changed my ways._"

"Would that religion be that of Kira?" asks L and I am a little surprised that he would bring Kira up so suddenly.

Umeda seems to be thrown off by that question but he recovers enough to speak. "_Belonging to organized religion, no matter who the god is, is not a crime. You can't arrest me for believing in Kira._"

"He's not even denying it!" exclaims Aizawa.

"This is crazy," says Matsuda from behind me. "Why wouldn't he deny being affiliated with the cult?"

"Because he feels that he's protected," I say. "Knowing who is involved with the cult and the killings is powerful information, information that could get many people arrested so he thinks he can use it to blackmail others and use it as a type of insurance. He's probably expecting someone to knock on the door right now and release him."

"Well, Mogi and Ide won't do that," says Aizawa smugly. "They're under strict orders not to allow anyone in that room who isn't affiliated with L or the NPA."

"That could be a problem," says L cryptically. "Now, Noriko, do you see any avenues we can use to get information out of him?"

I look at the file opened on one of L's monitors, it outlines Umeda's personal life and other such things that a police file would not contain. "He doesn't have any immediate family except for a daughter who is being raised by her aunt. His wife died while he was in prison for a few months and their daughter went to her sister, who has full custody of the girl. He's recently filed against her for custody of his daughter, there's a trial in a couple of months. That may work."

"What's the girl's name?" asks L.

"Kasumi," I reply.

"Mr. Umeda, you're correct when you say that I can't arrest you for your beliefs," says L and I have a sneaking suspicion as to what he is up to. "I can, however, arrest you for impeding a police investigation." Umeda's face falls and L seems to be encouraged by it. "I have it on good authority that you know vital information for my case and if you refuse to help, I will have you arrested by the NPA officers standing just outside your door."

"_And what happens to me if I do help you?_" asks Umeda a little desperately, proceeding apparently as L had anticipated.

"Then I will personally write a character reference for your custody hearing," replies L smoothly. "It would certainly go a long way in regaining custody of Kasumi, would it not, Mr. Umeda? Having a trusted source such as L vouching for your competence as a parent and person as a whole would leave little doubt in the mind of a judge that you are capable of raising your daughter. Even powerful CEO's do not hold the weight I do when it comes to the law and vouching for a person's character."

I watch as Umeda mulls L's offer over in his mind, obviously intrigued and seriously considering accepting what the detective is offering. L has certainly found the path to getting his information.

"_What is it you want to know?_" asks Umeda, looking at the source of L's voice.

"Who is it that you're bringing known cultists to at the Blue Dove?" asks L bluntly.

Umeda apparently had not been expecting that particular question but he does not answer quickly either. "_I can't answer that without knowing my daughter and I will be protected. If I tell you, I will be betraying a great many people, some of them more powerful than most politicians and I won't tell you unless I and Kasumi are guaranteed protection._"

"Granted," says L easily. "You and your daughter will be given new identities and moved to a different country. You have my word on that, Mr. Umeda."

"_Good,_" says Umeda, obviously relieved. "_And the man I am bringing those people to is the CEO and President of Yotsuba, Osamu Kagami._"

"I see," says L slowly. "Now, who are you to bring to him next week?"

"_I want our new life completely funded by you,_" answers Umeda easily. "_My daughter has not lived as she should and has been living in poverty for a very long time. I don't want that to continue in our new life._"

Now L is annoyed. "You are in no position to make demands of me, Mr. Umeda. I have already been generous in my offer to assist in getting your daughter back and by permitting you to start a new life in another country. The information you have is not worth all that you are asking, and if you continue to press my generosity, I will leave you at the mercy of your employers." L takes a deep breath. "And I will unseal your court records, allowing your employer at the Blue Dove to know exactly what kind of criminal they have hired."

Umeda pales considerably, evidently he had not thought about L releasing his past arrests to the owner of the restaurant.

"I have looked into your place of hire, and they have a very strict hiring policy," continues L. "I am amazed that you were able to obtain employment there, but then as I was doing my research on you, I saw that your files had been sealed and taken off of public record by order of a judge who is now dead. That judge is dead because of Kagami, and if he is powerful enough to kill a judge then he will have no problem eliminating a pathetic crook like you." L pauses for a moment to observe Umeda. "Whether or not Kagami finds out is completely up to you, Mr. Umeda. Now, give me the names and dates of who Kagami is meeting next week."

Umeda says nothing and Ide enters then with a pen and paper. The maître d begins writing.

"He fears for his life more than having his daughter," I say bitterly. "He only hesitated when he thought he would die."

"Yes, he is a coward," agrees L. "I will make sure to mention that in my character reference. I will ensure that his daughter and her aunt get a new start someplace else away from here, where they will live comfortably without worrying about him."

"Didn't you promise Umeda a new life?" I ask and he nods.

"I did, but I didn't say it would be with her," replies L and I cannot help but smirk. "Mr. Aizawa, please tell Mr. Ide not to release Mr. Umeda just yet. I cannot afford to let him go so easily. I have one more offer for him anyhow."

I look at him curiously. "And what offer is that?"

"Helping us in catching Kagami," says L with a shrug. "Now that we have an inside man, it would be ludicrous not to utilize him in our plan. Besides, if he suddenly disappears it will only raise suspicion."

"What exactly is your plan, L?" I ask, glancing at Light as I do.

L turns to me and smirks and I have a sinking feeling that I will not like this plan.


	17. Deceived

**A/N: Things are about to get interesting. Starts Noriko POV then ends with L/Near. Enjoy!**

* * *

The crowd outside the Blue Dove is buzzing with anticipation, everyone here is eager to get inside and sample the critically acclaimed food, fulfilling reservations made almost three months in advance. I stand among them, not fantasizing about the lobster rolls or the beef Wellington made with finely selected beef filets, but rather trying to keep down my meager breakfast of cornflakes and coffee. Unlike the others, I am here for a purpose above pleasure although at this point it would be a nice change of pace. Glancing at my attire I can only hope that it is convincing enough that Kagami will not be suspicious, and that anyone I know will not recognize me right away.

"_Remember, Noriko, you are Harumi Koga,_" says L through the communications device in my ear. "_If you continue to worry, your body language alone will give you away to Kagami. If your mother can make a career out of being a passable actress, you can do it for an hour and a half._"

I glare up at the camera above the front entrance, knowing that is where L is watching me from and I want him to know that I do not appreciate that slight against my mother. I may not have known her, but the least I can do is defend her from jerks like him. Light chuckles beside me and I have to practice extreme control not to direct my glare at him next, I am already under enough suspicion as it is, I do not need to give L any more excuses to have me arrested. Honestly, I am fully expecting to be arrested after this meeting with Kagami.

"_There's no need for looks like that,_" says L calmly and I look at the ground, my eyes firmly on the nearest crack in the sidewalk. "_I would suggest using this time to rehearse your lines, Gevanni's given us the signal that Kagami is already on his way to the restaurant._"

I nod, my gaze still focused on the ground.

"I'm surprised that Near's given such an important assignment to you," says Light, a hint of amusement in his voice. "You know this doesn't mean he trusts you, right?" He chuckles. "I'm sorry, I forgot you can't speak to me right now, you're being watched like a specimen under a microscope."

'_Thanks for the reminder,'_ I think scathingly. _'And I know he doesn't trust me, he's probably going to have me arrested and shipped to some remote corner of the world to be forgotten. My usefulness is about to be spent and all that'll be left is the suspicion that I'm linked to Kira. And without the notebook, I can do nothing to prevent this from happening.'_

The doors open then and everyone rushes inside, hoping to get their table before the rest and I calmly enter, my heart pounding so loudly I am sure they are picking it up on the wire taped to my chest. I do as instructed and push my way through the crowd towards the maître d's station where Umeda is waiting with a menu in hand, he nods when he sees me and gestures for me to follow him. With a slight nod I begin walking and he walks beside me, discreetly slipping something into my hand and I close my fist around it, I can tell it is a plastic card but I am not sure what it is exactly.

"It's Ms. Koga's bank card," whispers Umeda. "She gave it to me a couple of days ago for safekeeping. It's supposed to be an offering to Kagami."

"Thank you," I breathe, my voice barely audible.

"Give it to him within five minutes of sitting down," explains Umeda. "Tell him that fortune has smiled on him."

I look at him skeptically but he seems genuine so I nod, my voice dying in my throat.

"I thought your boss would've told you that beforehand," mutters Umeda as he glances down at the menu. "It seems even he doesn't know everything."

"That's why you're here," I say softly and Umeda looks a little startled that I can speak. "Thank you for your assistance, Umeda."

Umeda nods and then looks at a tall, dark haired boy standing by the table I am being led to, the boy is standing like a soldier guarding his post and his gaze is just as deadly as any weapon. His eyes land on me and something flickers in his eyes, I think it is pity but on second thought it could have been righteousness; he knows why I am here, or at least why Harumi Koga is here, and he probably feels it is right that I am to die. After learning why Kagami has selected her, I almost agree with him.

* * *

'_Here are the names of everyone Kagami is due to meet with in the next couple of weeks,' said Ide as he set down the pad of paper, a list of five names written on the top sheet. 'We need to start working now if we're to set someone up as our mole.'_

'_I would agree, Mr. Ide,' said L as he looked at the names. 'Interesting, these names are on our list except for the last one, Harumi Koga. Lidner, pull up everything you can on Miss Koga.'_

'_Yes, L,' said Lidner and she began pulling up files._

_Aizawa stepped forward. 'Of the ones we know on this list, do any of them look enough like one of us that we could slip someone in their place?'_

_L shook his head. 'No, none of you could be used as a decoy for the names on the list.' He looked at Lidner. 'Have you found out who our mystery woman is?'_

'_Yes,' said Lidner and she brought up a picture of the woman in question, she had light brown hair and brown eyes, looked to be in her mid-twenties and had a narrow face._

_I knew without asking whom L was going to use._

'_What are her crimes?' asked Ide, his eyes discreetly sliding over to me._

'_She murdered her ex-boyfriend, his fiancée, and their son in cold blood,' replied Lidner and I thought I was going to be sick, of all the people who could possibly look like me why did it have to be her?_

_L nodded. 'And why would Kagami target her?'_

'_Apparently she got off due to temporary insanity,' replied Raku, her arms crossed tight against her chest. 'I remember her now I watched that trial closely. Her lawyer was able to convince the jury that the shock of seeing her boyfriend with a fiancée and son drove her insane leading up to and during the crime but afterwards she was back to normal. They let her off.'_

'_Why would seeing her ex happy drive her to murder?' asked Matsuda._

'_From what she said, her ex had been against marriage and kids during the four years they were together,' explained Raku. 'She was stunned that he was getting married and had a baby son so shortly after they broke up.'_

_I frowned sharply. 'She, unlike the others, really doesn't have a chance at redemption in Kagami's eyes. She's just crazy and too dangerous to keep around. He probably doesn't have anything in mind for her like he did some of the others, and if he does then it'll likely be killing a serial murderer.' I looked at the others from Kagami's meetings. 'Everyone leading up to her has committed a crime far below that of capital murder and have been able to "redeem" themselves by killing someone of equal or greater value. Koga has committed the ultimate evil and can't be redeemed in any sense. Kagami definitely has something special planned for her.'_

'_Which is all the more reason we need to catch him,' said Aizawa sternly._

'_Why would she want to be redeemed?' asked Mogi curiously. 'She got exactly what she wanted, she got her revenge against her ex and got away with the crime.'_

_L shrugged. 'Kira works in mysterious ways. We should move cautiously with this plan, since we don't know what he has planned we can't anticipate what he might do in this case. Umeda will be held a little longer and we'll extract as much information from him that we can regarding protocol for these meetings.' He twisted a piece of hair. 'It would've been much more useful to speak to the boy but we'll work with what we have.'_

'_What are we going to do about Koga?' asked Ide._

'_We'll figure something out,' replied L as he looked at me._

_Matsuda cleared his throat loudly and everyone turned to look at him. 'Excuse me, but why can't we just ask Miss Koga to work with us? Surely that would be easier than trying to pass someone off to Kagami as her.'_

'_You make a fair argument,' agreed L although I knew he was not about to listen to anything Matsuda suggested. 'But think about this, if she's desperate enough to go to Kagami to seek redemption of some sort, then she might be too loyal to him to be turned away. We need someone in there that we can control, someone whose motivations are clear to us.' His eyes rested on me again. 'Noriko is the only logical solution to this problem. She might be under suspicion, but if she is able to bring us Kagami then she will no longer be a suspected Kira.'_

_I had a feeling he was lying, there was no way that doing something as simple as bringing in the Kira cult leader would erase all suspicion of me. With Kagami out of the way, L might insist that with a power vacuum I would have to be watched so as not to try and fill that void. He was just using that as an excuse to get the Task Force on board with his plan, they would not agree to something like this if they thought it was a reckless move._

'_Alright,' I said calmly. 'I'll do it.'_

* * *

It turned out that nothing had to be done about Koga; she is out of the country at the moment, something that is not known to many people outside of her office. I wish that I could have been far away in a different land rather than here with Kagami. He looks up at me from his menu, his dark blue eyes like an abyss and he gestures for me to sit down, and I try to as naturally as possible. My movements feel foreign to me, like someone else is making them or this is the first time in my life I have ever been asked to walk or sit down. I try not to imagine how my voice is going to sound once I am asked to speak.

"It's good to see you, Miss Koga," says Kagami, his voice as smooth as it was when I heard him preach. "I'm glad you decided to come today. I hope you don't mind that I've already ordered for you."

"I don't mind at all and I've been looking forward to this all week," I reply, surprised at how natural my voice sounds compared to the stiff way my body acted just moments ago. "You seem to be doing well, Mr. Kagami, I trust your health is no longer an issue?"

Umeda said he heard several of the cultists rehearsing this line before they sat down with Kagami.

He shrugs slightly. "It could be better, I'm hoping my fortune will change."

"I'm sure fortune will smile on you soon," I say as I put the bankcard on the table casually, pulling my hand back just as he reaches for it.

"It would seem you're right," says Kagami as he slips the card into his suit's inside pocket. "My health already seems better." His gaze is sharp and unforgiving, in a way it reminds me of how Light looks at L or the other Task Force members. "I hope you understand I'm a busy man, Miss Koga and I don't like wasting my time."

I meet his gaze calmly. "I wouldn't be here if I wanted to waste your time, Mr. Kagami. I'm here because I believe you can help me."

Kagami seems impressed and slightly amused. "And what is it you need my help with, Miss Koga? I'm not exactly in the business of buying retail chains."

"But you are in the business of giving second chances," I counter, L's prompt gives the exact response we had been hoping for.

"Yes, to a certain degree," replies Kagami slowly. "But sometimes, second chances don't deserve to be given."

'_I already knew you weren't interested in helping Koga that way,'_ I think triumphantly. "Yes, you might be right, but then again sometimes people can earn a second chance. Through their actions, they can make up for their past sins and fulfill the opportunity at a second chance."

Kagami seems intrigued. "You have a point there, Miss Koga. Actions do speak louder than words, and your actions speak volumes to me." His eyes narrow. "You were able to get away with a heinous crime, one that is unforgivable in the eyes of our god and I'm not sure if He will forgive you. Murdering an innocent can almost never be redeemed."

"My ex wasn't innocent," I say with as much anger as I can muster. "He used me, he hurt me, and then he threw me away when he was done. He got what he deserved."

"Your ex was scum," says Kagami and it is my turn to look intrigued. "Manipulating a woman for years on end only to leave her and turn around and do with another what he wouldn't with the first is the sign of a despicable human being. Whom I am referring to is the baby boy that you shot."

I take a deep breath, I knew this was going to come up, so I look down at my hands. "I didn't mean to kill him." I peek through my eyelashes at Kagami, he looks impassive but is not shutting out my words. "I was going to spare him, after all he wasn't the reason I was angry." I let out a shaky breath now. "But his mother . . . she wouldn't put him down . . . she just kept clutching him and when I fired the gun, I missed my target and the bullet went through them both." I look up at him now. "That's why I want redemption, Mr. Kagami. I know I've done something terrible by killing that baby and I want to make up for it, in any way that I can."

Kagami studies me carefully, his eyes betraying nothing. He opens his mouth to speak when our food and drinks arrive, that seems to keep him from giving me his answer until the waiter leaves. The boy gives me a look of utter contempt as he resumes his post.

I do not press Kagami for any answers, instead I take a sip of the wine that came with the meal then cut into the beef Wellington, the bouquet of fresh herbs and perfectly cooked beef makes my mouth water and stomach declare its longing for food. Despite its delectable appearance and intoxicating aroma, when I taste it, it becomes like ash in my mouth. My nerves are getting the better of me, that much is obvious.

"Why do you only want redemption for the baby?" asks Kagami as we dine. "Why not for the mother?"

I let out a mirthless chuckle. "He was cheating on me with her, that's why they had a baby so quickly. She even came up to me one day and told me whom she was; that's why I feel no remorse in killing her. She is just as bad as my ex as far as I can tell."

Kagami nods thoughtfully. "Yes, those who participate in adultery are just as guilty as the ones committing the act." He takes a sip of his wine. "But I find liars far more intolerable."

This is going off script. "Liars?" I ask, my voice masking my fear. "I'm not lying to you, Mr. Kagami, I do want redemption for killing that baby."

"Lying is often associated with sociopaths and psychopaths," he continues as if I had not even spoken. "Some of the best are often the ones people put in positions of power and trust, which truly demonstrates how crippled our world has become since we choose these kinds of people to lead us." Anger flashes across his eyes. "Many have asked why I haven't gone into politics, the answer is simple: I cannot tolerate a liar. Which is why I can't bring myself to tell a single lie, although I can't stomach hypocrites either. " His levels a harsh glare at me. "Tell me, do you ever get tired of lying, Miss Yagami?"

'_How the hell does he know that?!'_ I think, panic racing through my body faster than adrenaline.

"_Noriko, get out of there!_" comes Aizawa's voice in my ear.

"I have to go freshen up," I say calmly then exit the booth, suddenly the world is spinning and my legs are too weak to hold my body up any longer, so I collapse back in the booth.

"There isn't a point in trying to leave," says Kagami as he continues eating. "You won't make it very far and if you did, I would just have someone bring you back."

His voice starts to become muffled to me as darkness creeps into my vision. "Sleep well, Noriko."

* * *

Noriko blends in well with the crowd, she has the same easy confidence as her father, not that I am surprised; I could tell from when she was very young that most of her traits would be those of her father's. She is fidgeting though, and that might draw unnecessary attention to herself, I press a button on the console in front of me.

"Remember, Noriko, you are Harumi Koga," I say as I watch her carefully on the monitor. "If you continue to worry, your body language alone will give you away to Kagami. If your mother can make a career out of being a passable actress, you can do it for an hour and a half."

She glares directly at the camera I am watching her from, the look takes me by surprise; for a split second she looked exactly like Light.

"There's no need for looks like that_,_" I say calmly and I see her eyes locked on the ground. "I would suggest using this time to rehearse your lines, Gevanni's given us the signal that Kagami is already on his way to the restaurant."

Her likelihood of being the new Kira just went up a few percentage points. I almost laugh when I realize just how much like L that sounded; Watari had told us when we were young and still learning that L based the chance of his suspects being the perpetrator by percent. I found it a foolish idea so I dismissed it entirely, it would seem like, however, that in my advanced age I have come to find solace in some of L's eccentricities even picking them up myself.

"She's made contact with Umeda," says Mogi and I glance up at a monitor, a different camera feed online; this one shows Umeda and Noriko walking towards Kagami's booth. I notice Noriko's hand is clutched around something.

"What's she holding?" I ask, having missed that part of the exchange. I watch as Noriko is handed off to the waiter boy and then sits across from Kagami. I change the camera to the one that shows the booth from a different angle, it does not show Kagami's face but it does allow me to watch Noriko more clearly.

"He said it was Koga's bankcard," replies Ide and he passes me a headset, which I put on. "She's supposed to give it to Kagami as a type of offering I suppose."

I snort. "How typical, even those claiming to be righteous are out for themselves."

Raku nods. "Yes, you're right about that, Near. But why weren't we told about this when Umeda was in our custody? He told us about the procedure and how things were to happen but why leave this out?"

Yes, I had been thinking something similarly. I twist a piece of my hair. "Perhaps he neglected to inform us because we might have used it against him in his shoplifting charge. Maybe Koga hadn't given it to him or perhaps he forgot. Regardless, at least he's cooperating now."

"I still don't like this," interjects Matsuda from behind me. "Nori could be in all kinds of danger with this guy, I mean, what if he asks her to kill someone? What then?"

"We follow through with that," replies Raku with a shrug. "Of course she won't actually kill anyone but we'll have to make Kagami think that if necessary."

"How can you say that kind of stuff so calmly?" demands Matsuda, and I hear him walk up to Raku, I keep my eyes on the screens. "And furthermore, why were you so quick to agree to this plan? She's our daughter!"

"She isn't our child, Touta!" shouts Raku and even I flinch at the severity of her voice. "You have to let her go, she wasn't supposed to be ours! Hell, she wasn't even supposed to exist!"

It is very fortunate that Noriko can only hear us if I press a button.

"Killing or getting rid of her won't bring Raye and Naomi back, Raku," snaps Matsuda and tension fills the air. "You raised her for seventeen years, you know her better than anyone else so why do you keep saying she isn't your daughter? Is it just because she's Light's? Why, Raku, why can you turn your back so easily on our child?"

"We're not having this conversation, Touta," says Raku, her voice low and menacing. "Not here or now. Get back to your station and do your job, which is catching Kira. Or have you forgotten that's the only reason we let that brat live?"

I do not have to turn around to know that Matsuda's expression is one of betrayal, but he still obeys his wife's orders and returns to his station. His loyalty to his family is an admirable quality, and it has me reassessing his reasons for raising Noriko; part of it may have been out of duty to Soichiro Yagami, but now I believe he actually wanted Noriko to be his daughter and that is why he became so entangled. Still a stupid move on his part, after all he knew this was going to be the outcome, but I can commend his intentions.

"What's she saying now, Near?" asks Aizawa as he takes Matsuda's place beside Raku.

"She's launched into her explanation for why she killed and why she wants redemption," I reply as I watch her performance. It is rather convincing and has me reconsidering my comment earlier to her about her poor acting skills, obviously another trait she inherited from her father.

We resume silence as the food is brought out and Kagami and Noriko begin to dine, she takes a small sip of wine then cuts into her meal, as she eats she makes the slightest of unpleasant faces. _'The food must not be as good as we've heard,'_ I think somewhat amusedly. Next Kagami begins speaking so I turn up the volume on the wire's recording device.

" _. . . only want redemption for the baby?_" he asks. "_Why not for the mother?_"

Noriko lets out a dark chuckle. "_He was cheating on me with her, that's why they had a baby so quickly. She even came up to me one day and told me whom she was; that's why I feel no remorse in killing her. She is just as bad as my ex as far as I can tell._"

Aizawa hums his approval. "She's better than I thought she'd be, winging it like that."

"Yes, very commendable performance," I add on, although I twist my hair harder. "Let's see how she does now."

"_Yes, those who participate in adultery are just as guilty as the ones committing the act,_" continues Kagami. "_But I find liars far more intolerable._"

"Wait, that's not following how you outlined it, Near," says Aizawa, panic evident in his voice. "You and Noriko both came up with a likely script based on your profile of Kagami."

"That script was just an outline," I say as I watch intently. "We were only going off of how Kagami's answered such questions in the past during interviews and such. There were many ways this could have continued and this was one of them."

"_Liars? I'm not lying to you, Mr. Kagami, I do want redemption for killing that baby,_" presses Noriko, apparently desperate to get the conversation back on track.

"_Lying is often associated with sociopaths and psychopaths. Some of the best are often the ones people put in positions of power and trust, which truly demonstrates how crippled our world has become since we choose these kinds of people to lead us. Many have asked why I haven't gone into politics, the answer is simple: I cannot tolerate a liar. Which is why I can't bring myself to tell a single lie, although I can't stomach hypocrites either. Tell me, do you ever get tired of lying, Miss Yagami?_"

That was not a turn I had anticipated.

Aizawa beats me to the button to Noriko's communication's device. "Noriko, get out of there!"

Noriko seems to agree and stands up, saying she needs to use the restroom but something is wrong, she is swaying as she stands and then clutches her head before falling back into the booth.

Kagami speaks again. "_There isn't a point in trying to leave. You won't make it very far and if you did, I would just have someone bring you back. Sleep well, Noriko._"

Suddenly the feed to the cameras in the restaurant go blank, the wire ceases to feed us any kind of noise. I press the button again. "Noriko, what's going on? Noriko, answer me!"

There is no response.

"What the hell just happened?" shouts Matsuda as he comes rushing up. "How did Kagami find out that Koga was Noriko? Better yet, how did he know she's Noriko Yagami?!"

He might be spouting what everyone is thinking, but it is distracting and pointless at this point. I try several different means of restarting the wire and the cameras, nothing seems to work until the cameras come back on themselves and we see Kagami's booth once again. I cannot tell if he is still there yet there is no sign of Noriko sitting opposite of him. In fact, there is no trace that she was even sitting at that table in the first place, her wine glass and plate have been cleared away, as have her napkin and silverware.

"He's kidnapped her," I say softly and then I hear footsteps running towards the door. "Mr. Matsuda, we don't know if he's even at the restaurant. Please be patient."

I do not hear his footsteps returning.

"I'm done listening to you, Near!" cries Matsuda. "We've done everything the way you've wanted from the very beginning; we agreed to let you into Japan with that bogus formal request for help, we signed Noriko over to you the day you arrived, and we followed you on this plan even though the majority of us disagreed. But I'm through! That's my child and I'll be damned if I let some Kira crazed cult take her from me!"

The door opens then slams shut and silence falls once again.

"I should go after him," says Raku quietly although she does not make a move for the door. "If he confronts Kagami, it could end badly."

"I'll go," says Aizawa sternly. "He's going to need someone to back him up, he's never been good at creating cover stories."

"Go," I say calmly. "And if you see Kagami, you have my authorization to arrest him and bring him here."

"Yes, L," says Aizawa and I do not watch as he leaves. His footsteps are followed by a heavier set and I know without looking that Mogi has left as well.

"Why did you stay, Ide?" I ask, not looking at the detective.

"My place is here," replies Ide, practical as always.

I hear a slight sniffle and I look up to see Raku trying to keep herself from crying, she is doing an admirable job at it but I can tell she is struggling. Her eyes are rimmed red from the unshed tears that gleam in her eyes and she is pressing her lips so thin they almost disappear.

"It's fine if you care for her," I say gently. "You did raise her after all, and those instincts don't go away." I reach out and touch her arm. "You've denied it long enough, Raku."

I pull my hand away and watch as Raku falls to her knees, her black hair falling like a curtain around her face. If she thinks that will hide her tears, she is sadly mistaken as her muffled sobs give it away.


	18. Treason

"She's not being kept at Yotsuba," sighs Gevanni as he hangs up his cellphone. "I've searched every inch of that building and their other local branches but nothing. And to make matters worse since Kagami's still there, I can't ask as many probing questions as I'd like to."

"Figures," says Aizawa from his station. "Kagami has to keep up appearances, after all it wouldn't look very good for him to be suspected in a young girl's kidnapping."

I nod as I re-watch the footage from the restaurant for the thirty-fifth time; right now I am watching her take a sip of the wine and a bite of the food she had been served, she grimaces right when she is supposed to and I reach for a die, stacking it on top of a small stack I have going beside my computer. "The food was probably poisoned," I say lightly although I am sure no one is interested in what I have to say; this past week and a half has been spent trying to locate Noriko but with Kagami returning to work the same day she went missing, it has definitely made things complicated, not to mention the Task Force no longer trusted me.

"Why do you say that?" asks Lidner, the only one really paying me any attention at this point.

"Noriko makes a face when she takes a bite," I reply as I continue to stack dice. "It's very subtle and could be mistaken for unexpected pleasure, but it looks more like she wasn't expecting the bitter taste. Of course, that could only be confirmed if we had a sample of the food she had eaten."

"Which we don't have," says Mogi flatly.

"Which we don't have," I repeat as I turn a die so the side with six dots is facing me.

"And we don't have any footage of the back of the building," says Aizawa slowly. "And the footage we were able to extract directly from the restaurant that day has already been doctored to make it look like Noriko simply left. We're lucky that we have our own recording of that meeting, otherwise we'd really be up a creek."

I sigh, as much as it pains me to admit it, Aizawa is right. The only reason we know that Noriko is indeed missing is because we were watching, to any outside police force watching the doctored footage they would just assume she left of her own volition and decided not to return home. This footage had been all that Matsuda and Aizawa could procure from the restaurant on the day Noriko disappeared, that and a few well-rehearsed statements from the staff.

"Lidner, has Rester checked in yet?" I ask, looking over at her.

"No, L, he's late again," she replies, worry in her eyes.

I nod. "I see, well that can only mean that he's likely dead and has been since the day Noriko disappeared."

That seems to get everyone's attention.

"What are you talking about, Near?" demands Gevanni sharply. "How are you so sure he's dead?"

"I can't say definitively that he is in fact dead," I explain slowly as I stack a few tarot cards on my dice tower. "But given who he was watching and the timeline of when he stopped checking in, there is a high probability that he is dead. Probably killed by the Kira worshippers he was watching."

Gevanni frowns. "Then maybe we should send someone to check in on the Saito family, see if they know anything."

Ide lets out a humorless chuckle. "That's a brilliant plan, Gevanni, go tell a family full of potentially dangerous cult members that we've been watching their eldest daughter. Yeah, that's sure to work."

"I didn't mean it like that," snaps Gevanni. "We could organize a search and just happen to ask them about his whereabouts, we don't have to come out and tell them exactly who he is or what he does."

I shake my head. "No, that won't work."

"Near?" asks Gevanni curiously.

"If Rester has been caught, then there's no hope for him," I reply with a slight shrug. "If he hasn't been caught and is merely hiding, then we run the risk of exposing him, which would likely result in his death." I reach into a bowl full of cherries. "We need to assume Rester is dead and move on, we can't help him without hurting him now."

Silence falls and the distinct ticking of the clock on the wall is the only noise in the large room, then Aizawa's phone goes off.

"Hello, Superintendent Aizawa," says Aizawa and then there is the sound of frantic screaming on the other end. "Matsu—Matsuda calm down! What's happened?" There is more screaming, so much so that Aizawa has to slightly hold the phone away from his ear. "What?! Are you absolutely sure? Okay, okay, we're on it!" He hangs up the phone and looks as if he has aged ten years. "That was Matsuda . . . they have Koji."

* * *

Wherever I am, it is obviously not built for comfort as even in my delirious state, I can feel the incredibly thin pillow under my head and the threadbare blanket covering me. My head is spinning even before I open my eyes, I roll over and that just makes it worse, my body aches and I feel sick. It takes a great deal of convincing on my part to even try to open my eyes, when I do they immediately slam shut against the harsh light but not before I notice that the light shining around me is red. After a few more moments I open one eye just a fraction and see again that the light is still red.

"Oh god, no," I whisper, my throat dry and my tongue heavy in my mouth.

"Noriko, you have to wake up," says Light although I cannot see him. "Please wake up."

Tentatively I open both of my eyes and they stay open although I would much rather sleep, I raise my lightest feeling arm and grope around blindly for anything, that is when hands grab mine. Glancing over I see Light standing there, his hands wrapped tightly around mine and worry etched into his face. I glance up at his eyes and see kindness and sincerity replacing the usual malice and anger.

'_I guess Kira lost this round,'_ I muse as I tighten my grip on his hand, it takes my complete focus just to do that little task. "Where am I?"

"Some building in the country," replies Light as he reaches over for something, it turns out to be a glass of water. "Here, you're probably dehydrated, you need to drink something."

I hesitate in accepting the drink, the last time I ate or drank something resulted in me being drugged and I am not eager for a repeat performance. "No," I say and turn away from the glass, making the room spin worse. "Just leave me here to die."

"You're not going to die," says Light, somewhat annoyed and I know without looking that Kira is back. "The people who brought you here wouldn't have even bothered leaving this here if they expected you to die."

"Funny, because I feel like death," I sneer, not in the mood to humor him. "Go away, Light, I'm not interested in hearing what a screw up I am." I pull my hand away, it feels like it is dead but I manage and it hangs uselessly over the edge of the bed. I shut my eyes and try to will my _Shinigami_ Eyes away, the muted red color only succeeding in making the pounding in my head worse. When I open my eyes again, the color is still there.

"I see you're awake," suddenly says a familiar voice followed by the unmistakable sound of iron bars creaking open then closing. "Pastor Kagami will be very relieved."

"Traitor," I mutter as footsteps draw near me.

Parisa does not seem to hear me. "You really should drink something, after all you've been under heavy sedatives for the last few days."

I manage to pull the blanket up over my face only to have Parisa move it away.

"Come on, Noriko, you have to keep up your strength," chides Parisa gently, as if I am her stubborn child. "The IVs can only do some much."

That is when I feel the weight of something stuck in my other arm.

"How do I know it's not drugged?" I manage to ask, my tongue feeling heavier and I can taste the copper of blood.

Parisa giggles as if I have just told an amusing joke. "Oh Noriko, why would we drug you now? You're exactly where you're supposed to be." I hear the glass beside me being lifted again. "You need to drink."

Reluctantly I open my mouth but do nothing more, this does not seem to bother Parisa as she simply uses a straw to drip water onto me admittedly parched tongue. She does this several more times, each time she simply smiles at me as she works and I remain silent as well, Light seems to agree that staying quiet is the best course of action. When she is finished, Parisa goes around the bed to the IV stand, and then she begins disconnecting the tubes. I watch her and see that on this side of the bed is a metal cart with several medical instruments on it, I am greatly concerned about what had been done to me while I was under anesthetics.

"What are you doing?" I ask, the first words I had spoken in a while.

"I have to get you ready," replies Parisa as she pulls the needle out of my arm, blood begins trickling down my arm but she hardly seems concerned. She uses a cotton swab she takes from the cart to mop up the blood coming out of the hole before placing a bandage over it, then she reaches for a piece of cloth and dips it in a bowl of water on the cart before coming back and using it to clean the blood from my arm. The way she cleans almost seems like she is preparing me for either my wedding or my funeral, there is so much reverence in her actions.

"What does Kagami want with me?" I ask although I already have an idea. If he knew who I was at the restaurant and had this plan to kidnap me in place, then he obviously knew who my father was and he likely wanted me to give him Kira's power. Obviously I am not going to do that, but it makes this situation very precarious because Kagami might have a plan ready to force the information out of me.

Parisa just smiles as she finishes cleaning my arm. "Don't worry so much, Noriko, this is how it was always meant to be. Today is a glorious day for those who follow Kira and Pastor Kagami."

"Are you even listening to yourself?!" I demand harshly and she barely flinches. "You sound completely brainwashed! Think for yourself, Parisa, you know this is wrong. Kagami poisoned and kidnapped me, whatever he has planned isn't going to be for the betterment of anyone but himself."

Suddenly a harsh sting blazes across my cheek and I realize that someone I thought I could rely on has slapped me again. I look at Parisa, her eyes are hard and expression flat as she stares back at me, then she is thrown backwards into the cart of medical supplies. It takes me a moment to realize that Light is now standing where Parisa had been, his black wings spread serving as a wall to keep me from Parisa, I notice his breathing is erratic and his hands are clenched into tight fists.

"Don't ever touch her like that again!" he shouts, his voice echoing in the small cell. "If you do, I'll kill you!"

Between the feathers of Light's wings I see Parisa on the floor, water spilled on her jeans, her glasses askew, and a truly terrified expression on her small face. I resist against smirking at her as I know Light's protective side is fleeting and soon he will be back to his typical Kira-self, one that will explain that to strike his heir is to strike Kira himself.

"I'm sorry, My Lord," says Parisa meekly as she picks herself up. "I forgot myself."

"No kidding," snarls Light and I am shocked, I thought by now he would have snapped out of it. "Now, finish what you were sent to do and get out of here before I retract my generosity."

Parisa nods and Light moves out of her way as she approaches my bedside once again, this time when she touches me it is so light I cannot tell if she actually touched me or just went through the motion to appease her god. She inspects her work on my wound then glances up at where she slapped me, I can still feel it burning but I say nothing nor do I indicate any pain. This seems to be enough for her as she quickly leaves after that and I let out a small sigh, relieved that she is finally gone but still tense about what is to come. She is sure to report to whoever is in charge here that I questioned Kagami's authority and that she had to slap me, but she might leave that part out since she would then have to say that their god retaliated. Regardless, I will have to watch what I say until I can escape.

"I wonder where Ryuk is," I say quietly, not really sure what to say in these circumstances.

"He's here," replies Light as he turns to look at me, his eyes still kind and I almost have to look away. "I can feel him, he's somewhere in this compound." Slowly his arm extends towards me and his fingertips graze my cheek, caressing the spot where I had been slapped, his flesh is freezing but welcome against the hot skin of my cheek. "The mark should fade in an hour or two, maybe less, it didn't look like she hit you hard enough for that." His hand then cups my cheek completely and I remain absolutely still. "I'm sorry I let that happen, Noriko, I should've known she'd be upset with you going against Kagami."

"It's fine," I manage to say. "I shouldn't have provoked her."

Light frowns slightly. "Well, not in that way, no but you were right to call her out on her behavior; I agree, it has gotten strange and she seems more than a little too devoted to her religion for it to be normal. If everyone here is like that, then you need to be especially careful when dealing with them, because until you know Kagami's plan your life is in danger."

"I know," I say quietly. "I'll play the submissive prisoner until I can figure out a way to escape."

Light then smiles brightly. "That's my girl."

I want to pull away from him when he says that, hearing him speak and act like an actual father is crueler than anything he has said or done as Kira. It is like he is teasing me, showing me how he could have been had things been done differently and it cuts my heart like a dull knife; I wish he would always be like this but at the same time, I wish this part of him had died completely when he touched the Death Note.

The sound of creaking bars causes Light and I both to jump, he pulls away from me and turns to the source of the noise and standing there is Kagami, dressed in an impeccable dark blue three-piece suit. He looks directly at me, staring through Light and I am relieved that he cannot see him, this means Parisa has not given him or anyone else the notebook, which is a small point in her favor.

"You're awake," says Kagami as he approaches, his voice not as slick as before, instead it sounds rather . . . intimate. Like he is speaking with a good friend rather than the girl he kidnapped from a restaurant. "Miss Saito will be dealt with accordingly, she shouldn't have behaved as she did."

"She was only defending you," I say cautiously, wondering exactly what Parisa had said. "I'm sure I deserved it."

Kagami shakes his head. "No, you didn't deserve it, Noriko. You were merely speaking your mind, thinking it was for the benefit of your friend, something most would do in the situation. I admire you for speaking your mind."

"Thank you," I say as I manage to sit up, feeling very vulnerable in my current position. "Mr. Kagami, I'm sorry about what happened at the restaurant. I—"

He holds up his hand and I stop speaking, a little nervous as to what he might do next.

"You were in an impossible situation at the restaurant," he says as he sits at the end of my bed. "Parisa explained what has been going on in your life and I sought a way to relieve you of that situation. The only way I could think to help you was to drag you away from it, no one should be used like that." His gaze rests heavy on me.

"How do you know who I am?" I ask, the question burning in my mind above all others. "You called me 'Miss Yagami' at the restaurant but everyone knew me as Noriko Matsuda. Did Parisa tell you?"

Kagami shrugs. "I suppose that's one way of looking at it. Actually, I knew who you were the minute I saw you in the crowd the day you came to one of our gatherings, when I saw you I knew I was looking at the face of my god; that was when I knew I had to bring you here. Miss Saito merely confirmed my suspicions when she and her family came forward with information regarding you and Kira." He reaches forward and puts a hand on my knee, I have to will myself not to kick it away. "Noriko, you don't belong in the normal world, you belong here among the enlightened; we have followed your father's teachings and have been waiting for your arrival. You will lead this rotten world to a better state, make it a safer place for everyone."

"By murdering hundreds," I say flatly and I shift my legs so his hand falls away from my knee. "I don't know what you want to accomplish, Kagami and I don't really care, what I do know is you've committed horrific crimes in the name of Kira. Asking others to murder is just as bad as committing the crime yourself."

"I told you before that I detest hypocrites," says Kagami sternly, his eyes narrowing. "You are not as innocent as you try to claim, Noriko, you've murdered criminals in the name of Kira as well; we are equals in the eyes of the law. The only thing that makes us different is how we went about our crimes, I used dirtied people and you used the powers you inherited from your father."

"There's also the why," I counter and he seems mildly intrigued. "You murdered those people to cleanse your fellowship of the hypocrites and liars while I murdered to make the world safer for the kind people in it. You claim to kill in the name of Kira, but you are only interested in dispensing those who contradict your beliefs."

"Yes, that's true," says Kagami simply. "I did send those people to their deaths in hopes of ridding my congregation of such poisonous influences. And I plan on continuing that practice but I will no longer use members of my congregation to commit the acts. Instead I will allow you to dispense your father's wrath on those we deem deserving of it."

I raise an eyebrow. "Why are you telling me any of this? Wouldn't it be to your benefit to try and gain my trust first before telling me your plans for me? That way I wouldn't willingly back out."

Kagami chuckles. "I'm pleased to see that you're just as observant as everyone claims, Noriko. And yes, that would be better but I don't see the need to hide anything from you, after all if we're to work together you must understand where all of this is coming from."

"And what makes you think I'll work with you?" I counter, sneering slightly. "I could just as easily kill you and then I would be able to gain your followers without having to deal with you."

"An interesting point," agrees Kagami as he adjusts his glasses, his dark blue eyes almost black with my Eyes obscuring the true color of my surroundings. "However, I have procured some insurance to make certain you don't act against me too soon."

"What kind of insurance?" I ask slowly and he just smirks.

"You'll see soon enough, my goddess," he replies and his tone makes my skin crawl. "Now, I'll be sending down some people who'll take you to your room where you'll be expected to dress and then you'll share a meal with me. I imagine you're quite hungry."

I am, not that I am about to admit that. "Could you send down Parisa as well?" I ask with a slight smile. "I image she'd like to redeem herself for her earlier actions."

Kagami seems pleased with that question and my reasoning. "I will, Noriko. If you'll excuse me, I really should be getting back to the others."

He then stands up and heads towards the row of bars that I can now see, he looks back at me and smiles, it is not as strange as it had been in the restaurant but there is still something unsettling about it. He opens the door and steps out, the bars creaking as he shuts the door behind him, I half expect him to lock it but he does not, instead he just heads down the long hallway until he is out of my sight and then I hear another door open and close shortly after. I sigh and lie back down, the red light lulls me back to sleep.

* * *

Matsuda and Raku are inconsolable when they arrive at headquarters, they are holding each other and silently weeping as the rest of us gather around them, waiting for the moment one of them is able to tell us something useful. Aizawa's phone call with Matsuda had been too short to gather any proper information so I had sent Roger to pick them up and bring them here so we can interview them and find out how they know the cult took Koji. I sit in an armchair in the sitting area of the room, Raku and Matsuda on the couch across from me, neither one seems to be in a hurry to calm down and explain the situation.

Finally they seem calm enough that I can ask a question and might get a response.

"How do you know Kagami kidnapped Koji?" I ask and I can feel all eyes on me.

Matsuda lets out a shaky breath and pulls a piece of paper out of his jacket pocket, he then hands it over and I see that it is a letter:

_Wait for further instructions._

_ —K_

Kagami's initials are emblazoned across the top.

"I see," I say as I look back up at them. "Have you had any further contact with the kidnappers since?"

Matsuda shakes his head and tears once again spill from his eyes. "I-I-I didn't think . . . Why Koji? He had nothing . . . absolutely nothing to do with any of this."

"They're going to use him as leverage against Noriko," I say and all eyes return to me. "If someone who knows Noriko well has given information over to Kagami, then they probably mentioned the strong bond she and Koji had; a bond that could be exploited to their benefit." I reach up and twist a piece of my hair. "They may have kidnapped him to make sure we stay engaged in the investigation, as they might assume we wouldn't look for Noriko should she go missing." I smirk. "They're partially correct if they assumed the latter, I wouldn't waste the resources hunting down Noriko, rather I would spend them searching for the cult."

Raku's eyes flash angrily. "So my son was taken because these cultists want us to find them?! Why didn't they just keep him out of it?"

I let out a small sigh. "As I explained before, the most likely reason behind his kidnapping is leverage against Noriko, which makes the most sense. Whatever situation she's in, having a hostage is obviously a benefit." I reconsider that thought. "Actually, if Noriko is working with Kagami, then she might have taken Koji because she wanted him for herself; she might want to protect him against you and the cult's uprising."

"No way!" shouts Matsuda as he rushes to his feet, even separate from each other he still manages to tower above me. "Noriko isn't working with Kagami, you don't have any evidence of that, Near!"

"True, but then how did he know she would be at the restaurant?" I counter flatly. "For all we know they may have met when she went to that PTA meeting with Parisa Saito; we don't know anything for certain but it would be stupid to assume that Noriko hasn't orchestrated her kidnapping herself."

Raku then stands beside her husband. "The girl I raised wouldn't do something so reckless, Near, nor would she put Koji's life at risk. Yes, she has behaved oddly and is guilty of doing suspicious things but I don't believe for a second that she would do something like this; it goes against her very nature."

"A nature that Kira could have corrupted," I argue.

"We don't know if she is Kira!" shouts Mastuda and I sigh.

"There have been many accidental deaths in recent months," I explain calmly, reciting information I have been gathering since before I arrived in Japan. "They started around the time that Noriko was studying for exit exams, when she would have a lot of opportunity to be alone; since her coming into my care, they have increased in frequency and targets. This tells me that Noriko might have given the notebook away to someone else, someone like Parisa Saito. Noriko might not be Kira now but she was at some point and that's enough to have her arrested for capital murder."

Matsuda blanches. "You mean, when we get her back you're going to sentence her to death?"

I shrug. "I haven't given it that much thought but I suspect she won't be staying in Japan for much longer once we find her."

"But what makes you think that she was Kira at all?" asks Aizawa. "I understand the coincidences but we don't have any definitive proof one way or another."

"The killings stopped once I announced my suspicions of her and her friend Parisa," I reply and the nervous tension in the air increases. "I'm sure Noriko had hoped to have something in place to make it seem like the killings were continuing even when she and Parisa were without the notebook but it would seem that countermeasure failed. Given that not a single death has happened since, I can only conclude that they were responsible."

"Regardless, I'm still going to try my hardest to save her," announces Matsuda, determination shining in his eyes. "We can't waste time speculating when we have a search to begin."

"You aren't worried about what the cult might do to your son?" I ask curiously, wondering why he is so adamant about saving Noriko rather than Koji.

Mastuda shakes his head. "Don't get me wrong, I want Koji back too, but I trust Noriko to protect him because as you said, they have an incredibly strong bond. Besides, if they want Noriko to cooperate they won't lay a hand on Koji but the same can't be said for her; I'm not sure what they want with her or what they might do to her in order to reach that goal. That's why we have to start looking for them, otherwise we might be too late."

Raku puts her hand on Matsuda's shoulder and he smiles at her, trying to appear brave but I can see the fear in his eyes; he is completely terrified that we are already too late to save either child and that is understandable. Something that surprises me is the way Raku and Matsuda are behaving, normally when a child is kidnapped the parents will blame the other and push away from their partner, they seem to be doing the complete opposite. I cannot vouch for what happened at their house or what they might be thinking now, but I still find it suspicious that they are so supportive during this time.

"We need to get the Japanese police involved," says Lidner and I look to her a little surprised. "This involves one of their own and having more eyes and ears on the streets will be an invaluable asset."

'_It seems she's learning,'_ I think wryly as I nod in agreement. "Yes, that sounds good. Police forces are known to put in more effort when the crime happens to a fellow policeman. Matsuda, I would like you and Raku to return home for the time being, if Kagami plans on giving you more instructions or hints then they will likely be delivered to your home. Gevanni will watch over you during this time."

"Yes Near," says Matsuda and Raku nods.

"Now, Aizawa, I would like and as many officers as you can gather to storm Yotsuba and tear it apart from the inside out," I order and he grins widely.

"Don't worry, Near, they won't know what hit them," he says confidently.

I look to Mogi and Ide. "I would like the two of you to do the same thing but at the Blue Dove, we've already let too much time pass but perhaps you could see if stories have changed and make a few arrests."

"Yes, sir!" says Mogi and Ide in unison.

"Lidner, I would like you to investigate the whereabouts of certain people on our list of suspected cult members," I say and she nods. "Start with the Saito family and work your way down from there. They're key to all of this and I don't want them slipping through our fingers again."

Lidner nods. "Of course, Near. I'll also try and get in contact with Rester, maybe he's noticed something we've overlooked regarding the Saitos."

"Fine," I say as I turn back to the rest of the team. "I suspect we don't have long before the cult makes its next move, so I would suggest getting started immediately."

The others nod and rush to their stations while Matsuda and Raku head for the exit, Gevanni seems ready to join them when I stop him and he leans down so I can speak with him privately.

"Keep a very close eye on them," I whisper. "There is something else at work here and I want to know what it is."

Gevanni nods and then heads for the exit as well.


	19. Alone

I almost command Light to kill Kagami.

Standing beside my captor and leader of the Kira cult is Koji.

I feel as if the breath has been kicked out of me, leaving me a standing corpse. He does not see me right away but when he does, his eyes sparkle like stars although I believe those are tears glistening in them. He pulls away from Kagami and rushes to me, arms spread out wide. I fall to my knees and throw open my arms, I cannot help myself, I have my little brother back after so long without him; for a moment I do not even care that the circumstances are a far cry from ideal. Seeing him running towards me without hesitation chases from my mind the fact that I had been part of a huge lie that was told to him and to many other people, it lessens my guilt just enough that I can hold him.

"Nori!" shouts Koji as he throws his arms around my neck, his face presses against my shoulder. "I can't believe you're alive!" His tears soak into my shirt and I hold him tightly. "I was at your funeral."

"So was I," I whisper and he stiffens in my grasp, for a moment I think he is going to pull away but he only holds me tighter and lifts his head so he can see me.

"You were the lady in the hat," he says without hesitation and I nod. "Why aren't you dead?"

I try my best to smirk but it pains me to do so. "That's a very long and complicated story that I'll tell you later."

Koji nods and we remain locked together for a few moments before Kagami approaches and throws everything good and warm about this reunion into the cold harshness of reality. He is smiling down at us, it is hardly a caring smile and I hold Koji just a little tighter as I glare up at our captor, making it very clear that I do not approve of this at all. I make a silent promise to protect Koji from whatever it is that Kagami has planned for us.

"Noriko has certainly missed you, Koji," says Kagami as he puts a hand on Koji's head and he stiffens once again. "Now, why don't you be a good boy and go back to your room with Mrs. Irie? I have a few things I'd like to discuss with Noriko right now but I promise that you'll be able to see her the moment we're done."

"Do I have to go?" Koji whispers in my ear and I reluctantly nod.

"It's better this way," I whisper back and his grip constricts even more. "I promise, I'm not going to leave here without you."

Koji nods and we untangle from each other, when our eyes meet I try to seem calm and assured about the situation, if he knew just how terrified I am he would not have been so willing when a familiar woman comes towards him. I immediately recognize her from the meeting I went to, she had been with my former teacher Mr. Irie as his fiancée but now it appears, by the way that Kagami addressed her, she and Mr. Irie are now married. I look up at her and notice there is a blank coldness to her gaze, like she has been trained to not display any emotion; glancing at the guards around the room, despite their black sunglasses, they still have blank expressions and I wonder if people who are members of this cult are instructed on how to hide their true emotions from the rest of the world. As I continue to watch her, our eyes meet and there is a flash of emotion: pity. She says nothing as she takes Koji's hand.

With Koji now in her grip, she brings him to his feet and begins leading him towards a nearby door, one I had not seen upon entering. Several of the guards follow her, leaving a handful behind but Kagami silently orders the rest to leave as well. My eyes remain locked on Koji as he is taken away.

"I'll see you soon, Nori!" says Koji happily as he waves at me before he is escorted out of the room.

I remain on the floor, unable to bring myself to stand. I look at Kagami once again and my hatred for him swells, of all the things he could have done to me, of all the people to target, he had to bring Koji into this! My little brother has nothing to do with Kira or the investigation, he is by all definitions an innocent bystander and now he has been dragged forcibly into this twisted game I had hoped to keep him away from.

"A remarkable boy," says Kagami casually as he offers me his hand. "When he was brought here, he wasn't even sedated, he remained completely calm during his journey. It was almost like he knew he had been chosen."

"Chosen for what?" I all but spit at him, I push his hand away and get up without his help. "Why is Koji here at all?! He isn't connected to Kira or your religion."

Kagami chuckles. "My dear, he's connected to you and that's enough."

I feel all the color drain from my face, his words from earlier coming to the forefront of my mind. "He's your insurance."

"I'm relieved that the sedatives didn't affect your mind," says Kagami and it sounds genuine. "Yes, Koji is here to keep you in line until it no longer becomes necessary."

"What will happen to him then?" I ask, barely controlling my temper. "Are you going to kill him?"

Kagami shakes his head. "Not at all. He's a wonderful child and a possible asset to us at a later date. No, once it no longer becomes necessary to hold him against you, we'll find something else he can do in service to Kira; perhaps I'll make him a pastor or a priest. We're going to need more once we finally succeed in achieving Kira's dream to rid the world of all unnecessary people and declare him as our true god."

Everything he says sounds completely insane and I all I want to do is pull out his tongue just so he will stop speaking. "If you intend to make Koji a priest, what are your plans for me?" I ask and suddenly feel uneasy when I see the way he is looking at me. There seems to be a hunger in his gaze.

"You will become Kira's representative on Earth," says Kagami as he takes a step towards me, he reaches out and puts his hand on my cheek, close to where Parisa had slapped me earlier. "You and I will lead our followers into the light, together we will bring about a golden age where peace will reign and people will be happy. With you at my side, we'll be unstoppable."

'_Everyone here sounds brainwashed, even the leader,'_ I think as I stand taller. "Exactly, now I have a few questions, starting with where the hell am I?"

Kagami relaxes and smiles easily. "We're at my country estate, most of my followers have gathered here as well, all hoping to meet you."

'_There's something more going on here, if they wanted to meet me, they could've simply done so at a meeting,'_ I think as I smile pleasantly at Kagami. "Well, that's very humbling to know."

"I'm glad you're so receptive to our people," he says, adjusting his glasses. "I'm sure I already know your next question, about why you had to be sedated; it was to make you more compliant when moving you between vehicles at various locations. We couldn't risk you being tailed but we didn't want you to struggle against us either. You were put in the basement to ensure that you were safe, should someone come looking for you; I'm sorry if it frightened you to be in a cell but it was necessary for your safety."

I frown just a little. "Why would your estate have a cell to begin with?"

"I find they have many uses," replies Kagami cryptically and I suddenly do not want to know what has been done down in that basement. "Do you have any further questions or can we go enjoy our meal?"

"I suppose they can wait until we eat," I say and he grins before gesturing for me to follow him. We then head out of the room through the same door Koji had.

Walking through the halls I see a number of people rushing around with things in their arms, when they see Kagami they pause for a moment and bow before continuing with their tasks. The people do not seem to see me and I am curious as to why they are blatantly ignoring my presence, as glad as I am not to have people bowing to me, I am wondering why these cultists are not acknowledging me in the slightest.

"They've been instructed to keep their distance until later," says Kagami, as if reading my thoughts. "I didn't want to overwhelm you on your first day by the sheer number of people wanting to meet you."

"I see," I say slowly as I take in the estate's appearance, it is surprisingly traditional looking with _shoji_ rather than normal doors or walls and the walls outside of the rooms are cream colored, dark wood floors in the hallway contrast the tatami floor in the other room. "Your estate is beautiful. I haven't seen many like it."

Kagami looks over his shoulder and smiles at me. "Thank you, I'm glad you like it. Most people don't care for more traditional homes but I prefer them, I've been renovating it for quite a while now and am pleased with the progress; I hope to have more completed by the time I expand my company overseas."

'_He sounds so normal right now, it's a little unsettling how quickly he can change,'_ I think as we stop and he slides open a door. "Where do you intend on putting your next branch?"

"Hopefully in the United States," replies Kagami as he gestures for me to enter and I do, he follows me in and slides the door shut. "I'm negotiating with a couple of other companies for joint ventures before I put my own personal branch in the area. I want to make sure Yotsuba products and services will do well there before I fully commit to the plan."

The room we have entered is a small room with a dark wood _chabudai_ in the center with four red _zabuton_ around it; there are already a number of covered dishes sitting on the _chabudai's_ surface. Despite my reservations, my stomach growls loudly and the scents emanating from the dishes makes my mouth water, and it is only then that I realize that it has been a while since I consciously remember eating anything. When I think back on the time before I woke up in that cell, I recall hazy images of people and clouded noises that cannot be cleared up; there are moments when I think I was being given food and something to drink but I cannot be sure, regardless it has been a while.

"I hope you're hungry," says Kagami as he closes the door. "I wasn't sure what you liked so I had my staff make a few dishes, hopefully you'll find something you'll like."

"Thank you," I say as we head over to the table, I sit down at the furthest pillow from the door, Kagami sits beside me and he begins uncovering dishes. The delicious aromas from before now become almost intoxicating in their potency, my stomach rumbles louder and I have to cover my abdomen to keep the sound down.

Kagami merely smiles as he begins to serve himself. "I've been meaning to ask, do you like your clothes? Again, I wasn't entirely sure what you like, I tried to do some research as to what young women are wearing but I left it up to someone in the congregation."

I glance down at the dark jeans and green lace top, they fit incredibly well and I like the clothes, whoever he tasked with shopping for me certainly knew what they were doing. "Again, thank you. It sounds like you have an army under your command to help you with menial tasks like picking out a girl's clothes."

"I don't see it as menial," says Kagami sternly as he pours himself a cup of tea. "I want to make sure all of your needs are met. Now, please eat something, this was made for you."

Reluctantly I spoon a couple of scoops of rice onto my plate followed by a generous spoonful of curry, I select a few pieces of tempura vegetables and pour myself a cup of tea. Despite the way my stomach is growling, I still do not begin eating.

"Your food wasn't what we laced with the sedative," says Kagami without looking up from his plate. "It was put in your wine. The alcohol allowed it to travel faster in you system, that's why you had such a quick reaction. You shouldn't worry about this food or your drink; none of it's been tampered with. There's nothing to be gained by that now."

"How long have Koji and I been here?" I ask as I take a small bite of the curry.

Kagami looks up and seems to be thinking. "Koji's been here about a day and a half and you've been here for almost as long but you've been missing for a week and a half now."

I nearly spit out the bite I have just taken. "A week and a half?!"

"Yes," replies Kagami calmly. "Like I said earlier, we had to make sure you weren't being tailed so we made various stops and took several different routes to get you here. Koji wasn't being watched like you were so we were able to bring him here directly."

"Was I being followed?" I ask as I try to take another bite.

"For a while," says Kagami before taking a sip of his tea. "We lost them around day three but we had to be sure."

"How long have you been here?" I ask, subtly rubbing my temple. My nap earlier relieved me of my Eyes but there is still a lingering pain from them being in place for so long.

"Since Koji's been here," he replies. "I have a stand in running Yotsuba for me while I'm here, he's been briefed on my plans for the next three months and is in constant communication with me. He's been made to look enough like me that no one will question it, which allows me to come and go as I please."

I raise an eyebrow. "Do you plan on being here another three months?"

Kagami shrugs. "It all depends on how things go from here." He then puts down his cup and looks squarely at me. "Noriko, I want you to think of this place as your home. Everyone here has been instructed to serve you as they would me. Whatever you need, whatever you want, you can have. You will be denied nothing and given everything."

His words seem to have a double meaning; he is likely referring to both this house and the congregation. "That's incredibly generous of you, Mr. Kagami—"

"Osamu, please," says Kagami with a slight smile.

"Osamu," I repeat, the name feeling a bit strange on my tongue. "You don't need to do any of this, it's really too much." I look down at my lap but look at him through my eyelashes.

Kagami's smile widens and his gaze softens. "You're a lovely woman, Noriko, so humble and modest while at the same time so intelligent and charming. The mold was broken when you were created."

I lift my head to reply but before I can, I feel his lips slanted against mine in a cold embrace, immediately I push him away but then his arms lock around me and keep me pressed against him. His embrace is like being held by a corpse, he is impossibly cold for a human being and I wonder if he really is human. I continue to struggle against him, moving my mouth away from his and pushing on his chest to get him away. His grip becomes nearly bone crushing and his mouth always seems to find mine, it seems that the more I struggle the more he enjoys it but I cannot bring myself to just go limp and accept his advances.

Suddenly his grip loosens and it is just enough for me to slip away, as I retreat I realize that it is Light whom is giving me a means of escape. I watch as Kagami struggles against Light's hold on his wrists, then Light begins to twist Kagami's arms the wrong way; Kagami yells out in pain and I know what he is planning on doing.

"Don't!" I shout and Light pauses for a moment. "You can't hurt him."

"He deserves it!" argues Light, his eyes shining red. "He's scum, Noriko!"

"I know," I say, my voice thick with emotion. "But he still has Koji and I can't let you hurt or kill him."

Light seems hesitant to listen to me, I can see the war going on in his mind, and thankfully my side wins out and he releases Kagami who then falls sideways onto the floor cradling his hands to his chest.

"If he does that again, don't expect me to listen," warns Light and I nod.

"Thank you," I say and he looks disgusted with himself.

Kagami groans as he sits back up. "What was that? What did you do?"

I look to Light and a small smile creeps onto my face. "That was my father."

"It would seem I have displeased Kira," says Kagami, almost sounding fearful but it sounds more like he is in awe that Kira tried to harm him. "God, I apologize for upsetting you, it was never my intention."

"No, your intention was to sexually assault my daughter," sneers Light and I see his fingers graze the Death Note he keeps on a chain at his side. "Do it again and you'll wish you were dead."

"Is He here with us?" asks Kagami as he looks around the room and I shake my head.

"No, but he is watching you," I reply and Light smirks. "Maybe you should refrain from doing anything that might anger him until he knows you are worthy to be the leader of his people. After all, as his representative on Earth, I have a great deal of influence."

Kagami frowns a little. "You speak as if you have a direct line of communication with Kira, how is that possible?"

"Are you questioning Kira?" I ask, narrowing my eyes at him. "He works in his own way and to question anything he has done or allowed me to do is questioning his judgment, something that as a spiritual leader you are not supposed to do if you are to guide these people to Kira's light."

"Yes, I understand," says Kagami humbly. "I should've known better than to think Kira's child wouldn't have some means of communicating with Him; after all, how else would you be able to dispense His will upon the people?"

"Exactly," I say lightly as I take a quick drink of my tea. "Shall we continue our meal?"

Kagami nods and we eat in silence.

* * *

The breeze blows through my hair as I gaze at the world from my balcony, Light and Ryuk stand beside me. The rest of my meal with Kagami went off without another incident, I only spoke when he addressed me and tried to keep my responses short and to the point rather than elaborate like he was doing. It was almost as if he wanted me to know as much about him as possible in a short amount of time.

"This place gives me the creeps," says Ryuk after a stretch of silence. "I've been here with Parisa since before you got here and I can't wait to get out of here. These humans are scarier than any I've met before."

"Cult mentality is a pretty scary phenomenon," agrees Light, much to my surprise. "What makes this group even worse is how incredibly organized they are despite how dispersed the members are. It really concerns me that all of these people were able to gather here and it doesn't seem like anyone is concerned about work or school or keeping up appearances."

"They must be preparing to make a move," I say softly as the breeze dies down. "I hope they made some mistake somewhere. I don't want to stay here for the rest of my life."

"What happens if you do?" asks Ryuk, sounding bored just at the idea.

I shrug. "Kill myself maybe, kill everyone here then myself. I'm not entirely sure. What I am sure of is I have to protect Koji at all costs and find a way to get him out of here. He shouldn't have been brought into this, and I'm going to kill Parisa for selling me out to Kagami too."

"Did you find out how he knew you were going to be at the restaurant?" asks Light, his voice laced with bitterness and contempt.

I lower my head. "The woman I was impersonating didn't even exist. She was just one of many red herrings Kagami released to try and entice L or me out into the open. He said that at least one person per group was false and a file was created with a picture included; the photo was altered to look like either me or someone else who might have been involved with the investigation. Umeda was the one who told him we had taken the bait. The bank card I gave him was another signal from Umeda to Kagami that I was the one working for L." I sigh heavily and shake my head. "I can't believe we fell for that."

Light comes over and puts his hand on my shoulder, the coldness of his flesh seeping through my sleeve. "He's obviously been prepared for this longer than even L, you shouldn't beat yourself up about it, Noriko."

I subtly shirk away from Light's touch, his words were meant to reassure me but I do not feel reassured; if anything it makes me feel worse. Honestly, Light's change in attitude since we arrived here has put me more on guard than anything else I have encountered, I keep expecting him to lash out and tell me what an idiot I was for getting kidnapped and for trusting Parisa as completely as I did.

"Ryuk, did Parisa mention what Kagami has planned?" I ask, trying to change the subject.

Ryuk shrugs. "She probably did but I wasn't listening; honestly I haven't been paying much attention to anything that comes out of her mouth lately, it all just creeps me out. Her family went from being boringly normal to abnormally weird and I've tried to stay away from them as much as possible. Between you and me, I think they started worshipping me."

"And you didn't like it?" I ask with a slight smirk and Ryuk shook his head.

"_Shinigami_ might be gods of death but we don't want human followers," replies Ryuk with a slight shudder. "I hope you figure a way out of here, Nori because I want out as soon as possible."

I give him a sad smile. "I'm not sure if there is a way out without bowing to Kagami and what he wants. You and Light are free to leave, though. Nothing's really keeping you here."

Before either of them can answer, a door opens behind us and we all turn around to see Koji and his babysitter. I smile when I see Koji and hurry inside, he is already smiling and he pulls away from Mrs. Irie, rushing towards me before she can reclaim his hand.

"Nori!" he says as he throws his arms around my waist, head resting against my heart.

"It's good to see you too, Koji," I say with a slight laugh then I look at Mrs. Irie. "You're dismissed, if I need you I'll call for you."

She seems a little reluctant to leave but she does not argue with me, instead she gives me a slight bow then exits the room, leaving Koji and I completely alone.

His grip slackens and he pulls away from me, his expression serious. "Did he hurt you?"

I know instantly to whom he is referring and I shake my head, relief floods his face and a bright smile stretches across his lips.

"Good, I was really worried," he says as we head over to the bed in the room and sit down. "Your room's much bigger than mine, it has a living room and a bedroom; I only have a bedroom."

"Don't tell me you're jealous," I tease as I stretch out. "If you want, you can move in here and then you can have a bedroom and a living room."

Koji shrugs as he pulls down one of the many pillows, putting it under his head as he stares at me. "I might, but I'd rather just be near you. I thought you were dead, Nori."

My heart sinks. "I know, Koj. Can you forgive me for lying to you?"

"Of course," replies Koji brightly, treating this like I had lied about eating his sweets rather than about dying. "Are you going to tell me why you had to pretend you were dead?"

I nod and move just a little closer to him. I am not entirely sure how to start this conversation but I do know that I am so sick and tired of lying. "Well, for starters, I'm adopted. Your parents aren't mine, I have different parents."

"But you're still my sister," says Koji sternly as if daring me to contradict him. "I don't care if we have different parents, you're the only sister I've ever known. So, who are your parents? Are they responsible for what's happened to us?"

I nod and shrug at the same time. "Sort of, both of my parents are dead but their legacy is responsible. Do you remember that pretty model you said I looked like? Misa Amane?" He nods so I continue. "Well, it turns out that she's my biological mother."

Koji's eyes widen. "Really? Wow, Nori! No wonder you're so pretty."

"Thank you," I say, blushing a little. "And I'm sure you remember Light Yagami from school, yes?" Again he nods. "Well, he's my biological father."

If Koji was surprised at my mother's identity, it is nothing compared to his expression now. "Seriously?!"

I nod and he looks even more surprised. "I was just as stunned as you are."

When Koji recovers from the shock, his expression turns serious once again. "But Light Yagami was a detective and Misa Amane was a model and actress. How could their legacy be responsible for us being kidnapped?"

This is the tricky part. I worry my bottom lip as I try to come up with a gentle way of explaining what my parents did when they were alive, but when nothing comes to mind I decide to just be as blunt about it with him as L had been with me. "My parents were the first and second Kira. Light was the first one and Misa became the second one."

Silence falls between us, the tension in the air is almost palpable. I am honestly expecting him to leave and never speak to me again.

"And these people worship Kira," says Koji slowly and I nod cautiously. "And they have you because you're Kira's daughter, right?"

Again I nod, my heart beating against my chest like a drum.

"Why did they take me then?" asks Koji curiously and I want to bury my face as shame overwhelms me.

I take a deep, shaky breath. "They're using you to make sure I don't do anything against them."

Koji then frowns. "But why would you? Your parents were Kira, not you."

Tears swim in my vision and I have to look away from him. I know I have to tell him, he deserves to the truth and if I lie to him now, it would completely erase everything else I had been honest about. "Koji . . . I'm Kira too."

This time he does move away from me and I do not try to stop him, I say nothing as he stands up and moves to the door. I am ready to hear the sound of the door opening but it does not come right away.

"Do Mom and Dad know you're alive?" he asks, his voice tight.

"Yes, they knew from the start," I manage to say, despite how closed my throat feels. I am still looking down at the blanket underneath me.

"Are you still Kira now?" he asks, his tone a little lighter.

I nod, now unable to speak. Despite still owning the notebook, I have not personally killed anyone for quite a while now, I have been enabling someone else to kill in my stead. In my eyes, that is the same thing as being Kira.

"Thank you for being honest with me, Noriko," says Koji, a hint of a smile in his voice. "I need some time to think about this, so if you'll excuse me."

This time I do hear the door open then it closes and that is when I dissolve into tears. I do not blame Koji for leaving, if our positions were reversed I probably would have done the same thing, and that is the right way to respond to news like this. If he had stayed and told me that he forgave me for being Kira and for lying to him, then I would have thought the cult had brainwashed him and called him insane. As much as I do not want to chase him away, I know that this is for the best and the less time around me, the better it will be for him in the long run.

"That was very brave of you, Noriko," says Light and I feel the bed dip before his arm encircles my waist. He holds me with my back against his chest, with his arm tight around my waist while his free hand runs through my hair. "I know you don't see it now, but it was the right thing to tell Koji the truth."

I nod and try to move away but he holds me fast.

"Just let me hold you for a moment," he whispers and I stop struggling. "I don't get to be a father to you often, so please, just let me have this."

"You could have been a father any time you liked," I say sternly, I use this opportunity to pull away from him completely, jumping off the bed and rounding to him once again. "You didn't have to become Kira, you didn't have to give me that damn notebook! If you hadn't become Kira none of this would have happened!"

Light's eyes narrow at me, flashing for a moment and I know he is Kira again. "If I hadn't become Kira, then you probably wouldn't even exist! Given the choice I would never have been with someone like Misa!"

"That's fine with me," I sneer and he jumps off of the bed, we stand toe-to-toe with each other, glaring.

"Then maybe I should leave," he says coldly.

"Maybe you should," I say just as coldly.

Then without another word his wings outstretch and he takes off, flying directly through the ceiling and I fall to my knees. The weight of the world on my shoulders seems to have finally knocked me down as I take in my situation. My brother is gone, probably forever, my father is likely plotting my death, and my friends have abandoned me. For the first time since this all started, I am completely alone.


	20. Limit

**A/N: Starts off Near POV then Noriko POV. Enjoy!**

* * *

A plain white, rectangular envelope sits on the table in front of me, simple calligraphy writing on the front with Matsuda and Raku's names and address on it. In the three days since Koji went missing, this is all that has arrived in that time; I have a few theories about what it probably is but I do not say anything, instead I just stare straight ahead at Raku and Matsuda who are looking at me. The rest of the team is crowded around us in the sitting area, looking expectantly at me and sympathetically at the two across from me.

Gevanni stands loyally at my side; Lidner stands a ways off, closer to the Task Force. I have come to realize that I am slowly losing control of this investigation and this is my last chance to secure my position as the one in charge. From what Gevanni reported, regarding the strange behavior of the Matsudas, they were planning their own attempt to rescue their children without my input. An admirable plan, but not one I can so easily condone.

"It's an invitation," I say suddenly. "If it were anything else, there would not be an address on it nor would its presentation be so pleasing to the eye." I look to Gevanni. "Please open it, Gevanni."

He nods and reaches for the envelope, slowly opening it and the tension in the room at this moment is so palpable I could slice it with a knife. I watch Raku and Matsuda the entire time, reading their expressions and drawing conclusions from every twitch of their mouths and slight movement of their eyes. Gevanni finally opens the envelope and removes its contents, reading it aloud:

"_Mr. and Mrs. Light Yagami are pleased to announce the upcoming nuptials of their daughter, Noriko Yagami to Osamu Kagami on November 13 at four o'clock pm. Reception to follow,_" says Gevanni, a slight hint of disgust in his voice. "And there's an RSVP card enclosed as well."

It takes exactly three seconds for Matsuda to understand the situation.

"This is sick!" rages Matsuda, reaching across and snatching the invitation from Gevanni with such speed, it rips where his fingers had been holding it. Matsuda's eyes move quickly across the few lines on what remains of the invitation, as if reading it again will make it less true. "He did all of this just to marry Noriko? And how does he even know that Light is her father? No one, other than us, knew that Misa was even pregnant."

"Obviously someone slipped up and told someone," I say flatly, not in the mood to entertain possible scenarios for how that vital information was leaked. I make a note to have Roger look into it later. "But while this invitation doesn't tell us everything, it does tell us a great deal. For instance, that Kagami has access to classified information." I look at Aizawa. "During your sweep of Yotsuba, did you find any computers or other such technology directly linked with the police or government networks?"

Aizawa shakes his head, as I expected him to. "The only information we found was that used to create the false name and file Umeda gave us, it turned out the photograph was a manipulated copy of one of Yotsuba's female employees; we questioned her and she denied having any knowledge of her photo being used for any such purposes. We thought about following up with her, but after receiving nothing useful from most of the employees, we knew she was telling the truth."

"Gevanni, when you return, I would like you to find a way of installing my Trojan horse program into Yotsuba's network," I instruct and he nods. "I want to discover how they were able to not only discern Kira's identity but how they were able to slip their red herring into the sea of criminals undetected."

"It probably wasn't hard," says Matsuda with a snort. "The story about what happened to that man and his family was probably an old one that they reshaped to fit their needs. It's amazing what you can edit on the Internet, especially when people don't look too hard at what they're reading. There's no need for you program, Near, I bet that's exactly how it was done. And as for who let Light's identity slip to Kagami, all you have to do is go through the list of people who knew; most of them are in this room and three of them are dead. Since we know no one here would tell anyone about Light, it had to be one of the three. Mikami didn't know until the end and didn't say anything in prison, Misa's memories were erased, so that leaves Takada. She probably told someone in the cult and they told others."

'_Is Matsuda actually making sense?'_ I wonder somewhat curiously as I stare at him and the bewildered, awe-struck expressions of his colleagues. _'And if it were that simple, why could I not see it?'_

"Well, that might be true," I say slowly, "but we aren't sure if Light revealed himself to anyone else, so to be on the safe side—"

"Near, there isn't a point," interrupts Raku sternly. "Touta's right, Takada is the only logical explanation for how the cult knew about Light being Kira. No one else did, otherwise the cult would be revering them as a sort of divine messenger. No, Takada likely couldn't keep her mouth shut and told someone, who in turn told someone, who spread it around. It doesn't matter anyway, the fact is they know and we have to deal with what's happening now rather than what happened in the past." Her eyes seem like cold, dark steel when she looks at me next. "And what we need to worry about now is devising a rescue to be in place by Saturday, this might be our only chance to rescue Noriko and Koji and stop the cult before they have the chance to move again."

"There isn't an address but I'm sure we could find out where Kagami's hiding," suggests Matsuda as he passes the torn invitation to Aizawa, who reads it and passes it to Mogi. "We know he owns three properties, and thanks to Aizawa's raid, we've confirmed that he's not here so we should look into the other places he owns. We can also track the people we've confirmed are both suspects and no longer present at their residences or work."

"How many people did you find went AWOL anyway?" asks Ide, looking to Lidner.

"Nearly five thousand," she replies coldly. "All of them gave the same excuse for why they were taking the week off: a close friend was getting married on Saturday."

I frown. "This cult is becoming an epidemic."

Aizawa looks curious. "What do you mean, Near?"

"Those five thousand are likely not even a large fraction of the cult's true size," I reply, my mind going through several scenarios and numbers. "These five thousand are only those being permitted to witness Kagami and Noriko's union, the cult's population is probably hundreds of thousands in Japan alone, with sects throughout the world. It would seem I have underestimated Kira's appeal."

"That's an understatement," mutters Matsuda and Raku nods curtly. "If the real L were here, we wouldn't be in this mess. The cult wouldn't have been allowed to grow to this size and Kagami wouldn't have Noriko or Koji."

"I agree with Matsuda," says Mogi bravely. "If things had worked out differently, this wouldn't even be an issue."

"But it is, so we need to focus on that," says Raku reasonably. "Mogi, did you and Ide find anything regarding the Blue Dove?"

Mogi shakes his head. "No, we weren't even allowed to search the place. The owner had lawyered up and without a proper search warrant, we couldn't even go in. When we contacted headquarters about a warrant, they told us to let it go. I'm sure Kagami already threatened them or paid them off."

"And L's authority isn't legally recognized in the proper channels," interjects Ide. "So we couldn't just say L wants us to do this without proof, the lawyer made that very clear."

"That's fine, with Lidner's findings, we can probably find Kagami," says Raku kindly as she looks to her friend and colleague. "Our first objective should be finding a place large enough to fit five thousand people."

"Mogi, Ide, get started on that," says Aizawa immediately. "Locate the properties, find out if either of them is occupied at the moment. Lidner, hack into Kagami's accounts and make sure we aren't missing anything. Raku, use whatever leverage you have with the Department of Defense and have them watch the locations we find. Matsuda, you're going to in charge of coordinating the strike force to rescue the kids and bring Kagami in. I'll speak with headquarters and see what I can do as far as warrants and other things we're going to need to make this legal. Alright everyone, let's get started."

They then begin hurrying to their stations, each looking excited and determined to begin working, when a soft sound stops them all in their tracks. It is barely above a whisper but they all hear it as clearly as if it were shouting, their eyes lock on to the source.

"Is he laughing?" I hear Mogi whisper to Lidner and all she can do is shrug, because she herself does not seem sure, even Gevanni seems apprehensive.

When my laughter finally subsides, I stare up at them, smiling. "Yes, Mr. Mogi, I was laughing."

"What exactly were you laughing at?" demands Aizawa, clearly taking my amusement as an insult against him in some way. I can understand his offense but I hardly care.

"This situation," I reply with a shrug. "It would seem I'm no longer needed nor wanted by any of you." My eyes rest briefly on both Raku and Lidner, the two women meet my eyes easily, as if their betrayal means nothing. "When this has concluded, I will depart from Japan with Noriko back to England. I will leave the Kira cult's fate to be decided by the ICPO, although I will send a recommendation. Noriko will not be permitted back to Japan or have contact with any of you for the remainder of her life."

Raku and Matsuda appear outraged.

"You can't do that!" shouts Matsuda angrily. "After all that's happened, you'd still take Noriko away?"

I nod. "Absolutely, she's proven herself affiliated with Kira, even if she herself is not Kira. And since you signed her away to me, revoking your parental rights, I can do whatever I like. Don't worry, she'll be well taken care of and get a quality education."

"I wish we hadn't signed those papers," mutters Raku, her voice holding intense bitterness. "Noriko doesn't deserve this, and neither does Koji."

"We'll figure it out later," says Aizawa quickly. "Right now, we have to focus on finding them."

"You don't seem to understand," I say coldly. "There is nothing to figure out, Noriko is my ward, she is my responsibility and when she is found she will leave with me back to England. When I agreed to let you adopt her, Matsuda, this was part of the agreement; you raise her until seventeen or eighteen then you'd sign her over to me and bow out quietly. You have done part of the deal, now fulfill the complete requirements and bow out of Noriko's life."

Matsuda's eyes are like fire when he looks at me. "You didn't agree to let me adopt her, Near, Misa came to me and asked. You only came up with that arrangement after Noriko was born and adopted by us, before that you were fine with letting us take her." His eyes narrow. "Actually, that arrangement didn't come up until after Misa killed herself . . . did you think Light was responsible for her death? Maybe as punishment for giving Noriko to us?"

"That crossed my mind, yes," I reply with a slight shrug. "I was also curious to see what created Kira, the part of Light that was the serial killer. So, I treated this situation as an experiment."

Raku looks at me suspiciously and I can tell that her mind is working quickly to decipher what I mean. "You introduced variables into her life to try and see what would produce a response and what wouldn't," she says firmly and I nod. "You were the one who made sure she got into the schools she went to, because they were the ones Light went to. You encouraged her friendships and other relationships."

"Yes, I was partly responsible for those," I say calmly. "Some of the teachers were on my payroll, so I used that to have them introduce Noriko with students I deemed acceptable for my experiment. I also had others interact with her friends and lead them to make certain decisions."

"Like Haluk leaving Noriko for Sanne," supplies Matsuda. "You preyed on Sanne's susceptibility to peer pressure and used it, probably in an attempt to make Noriko vengeful but that didn't happen."

I shake my head. "No it didn't happen, Noriko acted with surprising maturity. I had introduce that variable, the betrayal of close friends, working under the hypothesis that she might be developing more like Misa and react based on her emotions. I was wrong, as both Haluk and Sannae are still alive, so she was not looking for revenge. Since that didn't work out, I had planned on giving her new friends while she was at university, but that couldn't happen until the old friends were out of the picture; her faked death made that easy. Her new group of friends were also chosen by me, and her potential romantic partner was also my choosing, although he didn't get very far."

Matsuda seems to be shaking. "You disgust me. You're so obsessed with Kira that you've ruined an innocent girl's life. You wanted to recreate Kira, catch him easier than L caught Light, and then have your victory. I'm sure you didn't feel like you won, since we didn't recover a body." He turns his back to me. "When this is over, I'm going to tell Noriko everything. I'll tell her about your meddling, about her mother's things, about her father's missing body. I'm tired of hiding things from her, Near, things she has the right to know about."

"I wouldn't recommend that," I say, likely a surprise to no one. "Noriko is going to be with me for years to come and having her hate me wouldn't be to her benefit. Actually, it would be quite detrimental. You should wait to tell her."

"Until when!?" roars Matsuda, turning around to glare at me. "You're going to take her away the second we get her back and forbid contact!" He stops yelling long enough to smirk. "Are you trying to convince me that you'd actually tell her? Or that you might let her talk to us again if we behave?" He shakes his head. "Damn, Near, there really aren't any lows you won't sink to. Just like you using the Death Note to manipulate Mikami."

My eyes narrow at him. "I am L, I will do what is necessary to swiftly deliver justice. You can do as you like, but when this fails, don't come begging for my assistance."

I stand up, my back straight and shoulders squared, Gevanni is at my side immediately and together we begin to leave the room, headed for the control room where Roger is working. If they want to stumble blindly then I will gladly let them and watch their failure.

"So he really did use the notebook," I hear someone whisper behind me and I do not even turn around.

* * *

The night is clear and perfect for stargazing, the stars seem to be shining brighter out here than in the city but I know that is due to the lack of lights and nothing else. I silently find the constellations I know, identifying the stars that make them up and wondering which one is my mother; when I was younger, I did not believe much in the afterlife or in a divine being that created everything, I entertained the fantasy that people were made from stars and when a star fell a baby was born and when someone died a new star appeared. Of course, when I got older I learned that people were not made from stars and that it is extremely rare for a new star to appear. Given my current circumstances, however, my past fantasy is serving as my only means of comfort.

When Light left, I sent Ryuk away as well, telling him to find Light and keep him out of trouble. I did not tell him when to leave this world or if he should come back for me, that he can decide for himself and probably drag my father back kicking and screaming. Regarding the notebook, I have decided to let it sit in its hiding place for a bit longer, until I decide what to do about my living situation.

"Noriko?" I hear Parisa call from inside my room. I take a silent breath and hope that she does not decide to climb on to the roof to look for me; earlier I used my balcony to climb up to the roof so I could pretend for a moment that I am free. "Noriko, are you here?"

The last thing I want is for Parisa to find me, I had not spoken to her since she helped me get dressed for my meal with Kagami on my first day here. I have been actively avoiding her since and I am not about to break such an impressive streak now.

"Noriko, you can't hide forever," I hear her say quietly and I smirk, with my new power in this cult I could banish her if I wanted, but I would rather have her here so I at least know what she is up to. I then hear her footsteps retreat in the direction of the door, there is the shifting of wood as the door opens and closes and I relax, resuming my stargazing.

"That one must be Mom," I say to myself, looking at a particularly vibrant star that seems to be outshining those around it. "Trying to outdo everyone else." I close my eyes and sigh sadly. "I wish I had memories of her, not just memories of looking at her pictures or her scenes from that movie." A warm breeze blows over me and I smile, thinking that it is my mother giving me a hug or trying to hold me again, I know that is not true but I like the thought.

When I open my eyes again, I see the sun peeking over the roof of the far side of the house and I sit up, realizing that I had spent the night on the roof. Ironically this has been the best night's sleep I have gotten since I was brought into L's headquarters, normally I am so worried about saying something in my sleep or being spied on that I sleep lightly and not for very long. Being here, I am worried someone is going to come into my room, and in Kagami's case, try something physical again.

"I should probably go back in my room and change," I say to myself as I begin slowly inching myself to the edge of the roof, I turn around and lower myself down to the balcony, being careful not to make too much noise. Once I land, I almost fall over the railing in surprise, Kagami is already standing there waiting.

"So that's where you snuck off to," he says, slightly amused. "I knew you hadn't left, Miss Saito seems to enjoy overreacting."

"I wouldn't leave even if I could," I say slowly. "Koji's still here, I wouldn't leave him behind."

Kagami's slight smile falters just a little but he recovers quickly enough. "Well, that's good to know. Now please come in, I have something important I need to discuss with you."

Reluctantly I step back into my room, keeping enough distance between us that I can move if he tries something. He has yet to attack me like he did during our first meal but that does not mean he might not, and I do not want to be caught with my guard down.

Kagami smiles as he sits down on my bed, patting the spot beside him as an indicator that I am to sit there; my heart beats wildly as I obey, this puts me in an extremely vulnerable position and I would have preferred to stand. Once beside him, Kagami reaches out and takes my hand, cradling it in his; again, his skin is incredibly cold in comparison to mine. I keep my hand limp, determined not to show any accidental indication that I might reciprocate his affections.

"Our religion is still in its infancy," he says, his thumb stroking the back of my hand. "We need to show a united front if we're going to spread Kira's word across the world, there needs to be a clear partnership between the head of the church and Kira's representative on Earth." His grip on my hand tightens. "Noriko, it is Kira's will that we be married in order to strengthen the church. If the people see us together, working towards the common goal and continuing Kira's line, then they will rally around us and our church will be stronger for it."

'_So this is why you wanted me,'_ I think bitterly. _'You're incredibly ambitious, Kagami; being the leader of the Kira cult, having Kira's daughter as your wife, and a god as your father-in-law would certainly cement your place in this church you want to start.'_

"Do I have a say in this?" I ask, managing to keep my tone conversational.

Kagami nods. "Of course you have a say, but you should take the future of the church and your brother into consideration. I'm sure your father approves of this arrangement." He looks at the space around me, thinking he is looking at his god. "Now, do you accept?"

"You want me to decide now?" I ask, somewhat incredulously and he nods again.

"We need to arrange the wedding as quickly as possible," explains Kagami. "Now, what's your answer?"

It is a miracle I do not slap him, his arrogance and manipulation are as clear to me as his intelligence and appearance; he mentioned Koji earlier as a subtle way of reminding me that they still have him and to agree with whatever Kagami says, otherwise his safety might be compromised. While he phrased it as a proposal of sorts that in theory could be rejected, the content of the arrangement is designed to prevent me from turning him down. I really have no choice.

"I accept," I say quietly, my eyes on our locked hands and Kagami squeezes mine, then I feel his lips on my cheek, their freezing touch sending an unpleasant shiver across my skin. If his hands and lips are this cold, I can only imagine how frosty the rest of him is, and I certainly do not want to find out. Although, given what I just agreed to, I might not have a choice. "But, there is one condition."

"And what is that?" asks Kagami, sounding pleased with himself.

"Once we're married, you'll return Koji to his parents," I say sternly. "If you don't or if he doesn't make it home, I'll have Kira kill you and the rest of the congregation. I don't want him here afterwards, he'll have served his purpose of keeping me here long enough to marry you."

Kagami nods, his hand still holding mine. "I will, if that's what you want, Noriko. I know how much he means to you and I wouldn't want you to be unhappy."

"I'd be happier knowing he was safe at home," I say softly, mustering the courage to squeeze his hand lightly. "I would be extremely grateful to you."

"Then it will be done," he says pleasantly. "He'll be sent back the day after our wedding." He laughs at my expression. "I can't send him away until after it's done, my dear, can't have you getting cold feet now can I?"

"I suppose not," I say with a humorless chuckle. "Thank you again."

"Anything for you," says Kagami, bringing up my hand to kiss it before the finally releases it. "Now, I have a few people I need to speak with. Is there anything I can get you?"

I shake my head and he bows slightly before leaving, the moment the door slides shut, I slide to the ground, shaking. The thought of being married to him, having to share anymore of my life with him, disgusts me to my very core but I know I have no choice. Koji's life depends on my cooperation and probably will always depend on it because there is no way Kagami is going to trust me enough to never doubt my devotion and dedication to him and his cause. Requesting to have Koji sent away is probably the most selfish thing I have done yet, seeing him only reminds me of my failures, like I am probably a reminder to the Task Force of their own failures.

Bringing my knees up, I curl into a ball and try to shut out the rest of the world, or at least the room that is now my world. I see my life as if I have already lived it: constantly being followed by people, unable to do anything or go anywhere alone or freely again, forced to kill while those I care about are under constant threat of death, and being paraded around like a rare commodity and being expected to act like a dutiful wife. Death would be a blessing.

'_I regret so many things,'_ I think sadly. _'I wish I hadn't picked up that damn notebook, I wish my parents hadn't either. I hate what we've done to the world.'_

I am so absorbed in my thoughts, I almost do not hear the door slide open, when I look up to see Koji standing a few feet away, arms crossed and a serious look on his young face. I look back at my knees, unable to look at him. "What are you doing, Nori?"

"Nothing," I reply, hugging my knees tighter. "Why are you here?"

"Kagami says I'm going home soon," he says slowly. "He says he'll take me after Saturday."

I nod. "Yeah, I asked him to send you back."

"Really? That's great!" he says happily. "But what about you? Aren't you going to go home?"

Hesitantly I shake my head.

"Why not?" presses Koji.

"Because I agreed to marry Kagami," I reply, my eyes trained on the fabric of my pants. "It was the only way I could make sure you'd be released."

Instantly Koji is at my side, trying to pry my hands away from my body so he can see my face, I fight against him until he gives up and just sits beside me looking very cross. "Why would you agree to marry him?!" he demands. "He's a horrible man and a criminal!"

"I know," I say softly. "I don't want to marry him but I don't have a choice, it's either that or he'll kill you and Mom and Dad. Besides, I'm a criminal too, so I guess we deserve each other."

Koji's expression falls. "You don't deserve that, Nori. Being forced to marry a man like that is something reserved for people as horrible as he is."

I smirk despite myself. "Koji, I am a horrible person. I've killed people, knowingly killed people and lied about it." I close my eyes against stinging tears. "I've lied about so much, Koji."

Silence falls between us. The silence is stifling and I feel like my lungs cannot get enough air as I sit there waiting for Koji's reaction. Honestly, I would have been happier if he just left.

"What kind of people did you kill?" asks Koji, his question surprising me greatly.

"It doesn't matter, Koji," I say with a slight sigh. "They could've been the worst criminals in history and it still wouldn't matter. The fact is I killed people, I took their lives and no matter how they lived them, I had no right."

I then feel Koji's hand on my arm, his warmth penetrating the icy depths of my numb existence. "Why did you kill them?"

"A stupid reason," I reply, my voice slightly muffled as I lean against my kneecap.

"I still want to know," argues Koji.

"I wanted to make the world a safer place," I say, a slight edge to my tone. "I thought that by using Kira's power, I could make the world safer and I was wrong. Kira's power brings nothing but evil."

Koji's grip on my arm tightens. "I don't think it's a stupid reason, actually it sounds like what Dad and Mom do, you just went about it the wrong way. You should've just stuck with becoming a detective and then you could've done the same thing."

_The road to hell is paved with good intentions_. Never has an adage been so accurate.

"I know that now," I say meekly. "I guess I just wanted to make sure that those people didn't have a chance to cause more harm. I should've just stuck to the legal way of doing things."

"And I think that makes you different from Kagami," says Koji and I can hear the grin in his voice. "I've heard a few things about him after being here and he doesn't seem to have the same good intentions for the world you did. It sounds more like he wants to be the ruler of the world and have god-like powers, at least you didn't want to change the world that much."

I smile a little. "I guess you have a point there."

"But I still don't understand why you agreed to marry him," continues Koji, a note of sadness in his voice. "Even if I'm threatened here, at least I'm here with you."

Now I uncurl myself and sit up, meeting his eyes for the first time. "Koji, I don't want you to be here, you'd be much safer with Mom and Dad. They can protect you better than I can, it's their job, and I'm the one who got you involved in this mess. In all honesty, you should be trying to stay as far away from me as you can."

It almost breaks my heart to tell him that, but I know it is for his own good.

Koji scowls darkly at me. "I'm not going anywhere without you, Nori. And what's wrong with you? This isn't the Nori I knew, this is some martyr who isn't even trying to live. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you thought this is your personal hell and you have to suffer it because of what you've done."

I hope my face does not betray how stunned I am that he has hit on exactly what I have been thinking these last few days. Considering all I have done, I thought this would be the most fitting penance, yet hearing Koji say it I realize how stupid that is; I should be trying to figure out a way to escape and stop Kagami rather than trying to decide how to avoid him after we get married. This is not me this is someone who has nearly been broken.

"There you are!" says an unwelcome voice and I jump to my feet instantly, putting myself between Koji and Parisa. "I've been looking everywhere for you. It's like you were hiding from me."

"As a matter of fact, I was," I reply, short of a snarl. "What do you want, Parisa?"

"I've come to get you for your dress fitting," she replies curtly. "And Koji needs to be fitted for his suit as well, so I suppose I just killed two birds with one stone."

I narrow my eyes, glaring harshly at my former friend. The last time I saw her had been when I was getting ready for that fateful meal with Kagami, I had asked for her to be there because I wanted to see if she would apologize for slapping me and maybe agree to help me escape. What I discovered instead was her devout and fanatical views regarding Kagami, how she was jealous that I was having a private meal with him, and that I should be honored to even be at this place. Most of the other women helping me were like that, the only one I have yet to speak with is Mrs. Irie but I am not holding out much hope, especially since Mr. Irie is her husband.

"Where are Kira and Ryuk?" asks Parisa, startling me from my thoughts. "I haven't seen them since you woke up."

"They're around here, somewhere," I convincingly lie. "Ryuk mentioned he saw some apple trees and Kira is likely observing the congregation."

She looks disappointed. "Oh, I see. Well, I guess that can't be helped. Now, please follow me to the dressing room. Koji, you'll be in the other wing with Pastor Kagami."

"He stays with me," I say sternly, almost daring her to contradict me.

Parisa's eyes flit from me to Koji then back again, she seems ready to argue but something stops her and she simply shrugs. "Fine, I'll just have to tell the suit maker there's been a change in plans. Now please, we don't have time to discuss pleasantries."

"I would hardly call this pleasant," I sneer as I help Koji to his feet. "Lead the way."

Parisa's lips are pressed into a thin line, an indication that she is incredibly angry but she says nothing, instead she silently gestures for us to follow her and we obey. Koji's hand is securely in mine and as we leave my room, my heart and soul feel lighter than they have in days.


	21. Loser

**A/N: Nice long chapter, hopefully one you will all like. There are changing POVs just to let you know and there are some name changes: Haluk is now Haru and Sanne is now Sango. I'm in the process of rewriting this story so please bear with me. Enjoy!**

* * *

My eyes hurt and my head is pounding, the glare from the computer screen does nothing to help but I have to persevere, my children's lives are at stake and failing to find where they are being held may be their end. I have searched every inch of the files Lidner and Raku sent me regarding the properties currently in Kagami's possession and none of them are large enough to fit five thousand people; they are barely big enough for a thousand. We have to be missing something; there has to be something else here that could explain how he is going to fit five thousand followers into any of these places. Then it hits me. Not all five thousand are going to witness the union!

It would be nearly impossible for that many people to gather in one area and not be noticed by someone, so he probably only has a few hundred where he is actually getting married. The rest are just serving as decoys, a means of throwing off anyone who does not look too hard at the situation. The big question now is how to know at which property my kids are being kept. I open the file containing satellite images of the properties and stare at them a little while longer, going over everything I know about Kira and this cult.

I know they are calculating and being led by someone with immense charisma, a sure sign of a cult leader in my book. On second thought, I should have known something was up with Light, he was always too quick with his words. The cult has kept themselves very quiet, at least the true members have, the ones who are arriving to protest are likely another decoy set up to once again shift the focus of the world from the true cultists. Kidnapping Noriko and Koji were two very bold moves, especially since Kagami likely knew Noriko was being monitored the entire time; that shows me that they are feeling safe and will probably pull another stunt like that again. What would be bigger than kidnapping the son of two police agents and the daughter of Kira . . . Broadcasting their union. But who would?

"Sakura TV!" I exclaim jumping up out of my seat. Yes, they are the only logical choice. The station has proven over the years that they are loyal to Kira, they broadcast a special every year on the anniversary of L and Kira's public first encounter and still entertain Kira based discussions.

Quickly I reach for my phone, ready to call Aizawa and tell him of my hunch when I notice a text from a foreign number. For a moment I think it is someone in the States until I realize that the number is much longer than that, more reminiscent of British phone numbers. I pause. I do not know anyone in England. For a moment I consider deleting the message but something stays my hand, a feeling deep in my gut telling me to read this text message. Praying that there is not a virus or a phisher attached, I open the text and nearly fall to my knees.

[Daddy,

Nori and I are safe, Kagami is keeping us, and he hasn't hurt us. We're trying to figure out an escape but we need help. Nori has an idea, she says it's risky but I think you need to hear it. Text this number, Nori specially routed it so it goes through like a million satellites and is untraceable, according to her anyway. We love you, Daddy. Tell Mommy we love her, too.]

They are alive. They are safe. They are alive. They are safe. They have a plan. I immediately text the number back and ask for the plan.

* * *

My dress is how I described it to a seamstress just days ago: strapless and form fitting at the top and billowing below the waist, barely ankle length and made of a light material with delicate embroidery patterned throughout. My gold locket given to me by my aunt hangs around my neck, perfectly centered. It is not my dream dress, as Sango would say, it is merely a stand in and a far more practical choice. The only exception is the veil, which Parisa and Mrs. Saito designed themselves. I stand in the middle of the dressing room surrounded by cult members and former friends a mere two hours before I am supposed to walk down the aisle. Strangely, I find this prospect harder to stomach than going to my own funeral.

The veil is then gently placed over me, moments later it obscures my vision in a sheer film of fabric, I see my reflection in the three-way mirror and am stunned to see the woman staring back at me. The woman I sees is not who I thought myself to be, this woman is tall and graceful with a lovely body and a kind face, to all those who do not know me I seem like a beautiful bride; my deadpan eyes are the only indication to how revolting I find this affair. Mrs. Saito finishes smoothing out the cathedral length veil and stands back to admire her handiwork.

"You look like a vision, Noriko," she says fondly and I cannot believe that the woman who used to watch me while my parents were gone is the same one who is willingly giving me away to marry a man like Kagami. "I've never seen a prettier bride."

"Yes, she is quite beautiful," says a female cult member fondly. "The dress fits perfectly, Mrs. Izumi did a marvelous job indeed."

"She truly looks like a goddess," says another woman. "Pastor Kagami is truly blessed to have her as his wife."

The voices blur together until I can no longer tell who is speaking, I hardly care about what they have to say anyway, this is not going to last very long. I look in the mirror directly at Koji, whom is sitting in a chair playing on his phone, and after a few moments he looks up and nods, presumably in agreement with the women but I know better. Everything is in place, now we just have to wait for the right moment.

* * *

"Can we go back to Nori yet?" whines Ryuk from the apple tree he has claimed as his new home. "We've been out here for days, and I'm getting sick of it."

I smirk, looking up at him from the base of the tree. "I guess you aren't one for camping, are you Ryuk?"

"Is that the human practice of paying a small fortune to live like nomads?" he asks and I nod. "Oh, well then, I'm not."

"Obviously," I mutter as I look up at the darkening sky. The clouds are grey and hang low in the sky, an indicator that it might begin snowing shortly. While I cannot truly feel the elements any longer, I do not wish to be present when the snow begins to fall. "Come on, Ryuk, we've left Noriko alone long enough."

"Finally!" he exclaims and I hear more than see his slightly ungraceful descent from the tree. He lands beside me and I look at him from the corner of my eye.

"You know, she probably won't be happy to see us," I say slowly, gauging his reaction.

Ryuk shrugs, like I expected him to. "Who cares? I just want to be indoors and away from those creepy animals with the bushy tails."

"Squirrels can't hurt you, Ryuk," I remind him with a slight smile. Our first day in the woods had been eventful, to say the least; when Ryuk claimed his apple tree as his fort, much like a small child would, he had been invaded by a whole family of brown squirrels. He fought them for two days, pitching apples at them and waving branches until they finally took the hint and found another tree. I have to say; I never thought _shinigami_ would be afraid of squirrels.

"Like hell, they can't!" argues Ryuk as he takes a bite of a yellow and pink colored apple. "Anyway, enough about those bushy tailed freaks. Do you think Nori's going to forgive you for what happened?"

I try not to glare at my only remaining acquaintance in the world, but a little of it slips out. "Probably not, but I'm bound to her until she does something with the notebook, so she'll just have to deal with my presence." What I do not tell him is part of my desire to return is to try and make amends with her; what I did and what I said was inappropriate at the time, she needed time to deal with what she had told Koji and instead of giving her that, I went and made the situation worse. I am not proud to admit that I had made a mistake, a rather large one at that, but I am still human enough to do so.

"Think that creepy cult guy has done anything to her?" asks Ryuk casually and my heart thumps in my chest. "I mean when I was there before you and Nori showed up, that Kagami was going on and on about how beautiful she is and how powerful she has to be if she's Kira's daughter. Made me a little sick to be honest. And didn't you mention that he kissed her?"

I am in the sky in an instant, running through all of the possible scenarios of the trouble Noriko could be in at this very moment. Somewhere behind me, Ryuk ascends but I am hardly paying him any attention, my only thought is to find out what has happened to Noriko and if necessary resolve the situation by any means necessary. Here I am, sulking and pouting when I should have stayed and protected Noriko from those who might harm her.

"Hey Light, wait up!" shouts Ryuk but I ignore him. "Light, I'm sure she's fine. Would you slow down?"

Whatever instinct is driving me to fly as fast as I am compels me to fly even faster when Ryuk tells me to slow down. This feeling . . . it is almost primal in its intensity and I have become its slave, obeying its will without question and hoping to appease it in some way. I have no idea what this is and yet I cannot help listening to it, there is something trusting in it and after going so long without feeling anything beyond hatred and anger, it is a welcome change.

* * *

I stand behind a screen door and wait for my cue to begin walking down the aisle, like a good little child bride. The thought makes me want to be sick but I hold my composure and look straight ahead at the blank wall in front of me, something I have learned about Kagami these last few days is he does not do anything unnecessarily. That wall is blank for a reason, the screen is colored a certain way for a reason, my hair and makeup is done this certain way for a reason, this house is designed for a reason, and I never want to learn the reasons behind any of them. If everything goes to plan, I will not have to think twice about any of this ever again.

Something touches my arm and I jump a little before looking at who or what it is. It turns out to be Mrs. Irie holding out my broach bouquet. The woman is so quiet she could sneak up on a ghost. I accept the bouquet and smile at her but she does not do the same.

"Kagami's watching your aunt," she whispers and I feel a cold chill run down my spine.

"How do you know?" I whisper back, trying to keep the panic out of my voice. This is certainly a development I had not anticipated.

"Because my husband is the one watching her," she replies softly and as she turns to leave I grab her arm, forcing her to stay.

She looks at me like a deer caught in the headlights and I wonder briefly about her treatment by my former teacher.

"You can't trust Kagami," she says, her voice still low and hushed, as if revealing some kind of dangerous secret. "He promises everything but rarely follows through. You and your family will never be safe."

I nod. "I know. Why are you even speaking to me? You've ignored me this whole time."

"Because this is wrong," she replies and tears spring up in her eyes. "I followed Kira because I believed in his teachings, that the people of the world should be productive and caring towards each other. I don't believe in kidnapping, threats, and forced marriage."

"What's your name?" I ask, realizing that I have no idea what her name is, despite seeing her almost every day.

"Rei," she says, sounding almost relieved to say her name. "You knew my younger cousin Haru. He was very fond of you and your death devastated him."

"How are he and Sango doing?" I ask despite myself.

Rei smiles almost wistfully. "They're doing well, according to my aunt. They're happy together and I believe he plans on marrying her after he finishes school."

I smile. "I'm glad they're happy, they deserve it."

She cocks an eyebrow at me. "Despite everything?"

I nod. "Yes, despite everything, they deserve to be happy and I'm genuinely glad they are, as strange as it may seem. Please, don't tell them I'm still alive."

"I won't," says Rei seriously and somehow I know I can trust her.

"And please, get Koji out of here," I beg, taking her hand in mine. "He's not going to be at the ceremony and he won't be brought to the reception until later, so now is the perfect opportunity to get him someplace safe."

Rei looks very tempted to take me up on the offer but she still hesitates. "Where would I take him? Kagami has men stationed all over this place."

"Find a way out," I insist, the urgency of the situation slipping into my tone. "I don't want him anywhere near here and I don't trust Kagami to keep his word, just like you said."

"Why are you telling me any of this?" she asks and I myself am wondering the same thing, why do I trust this woman I hardly know and have never spoken to before? It is likely because I simply have no one else left to trust, so I am throwing all of it on this one person whom has at least been kind to me.

"Because I have no one else to tell," I reply sincerely. "You're my last hope, Rei and if you betray me . . . well, I'm sure I won't live very long to exact any kind of revenge. Now you have every reason to run to Kagami or your husband, since I'm not a threat to you."

"I won't do that," Rei says sternly. "I like you and Koji too much to let you stay here. I'll do as you ask, but you had better find a way out of here because I'm not going to tell Koji that his sister has died a second time."

"I promise, you won't have to," I say gently. "Now go, and make sure no one sees you."

Rei nods and without another word, she disappears. I turn back to facing the wall, anticipating my cue to walk any moment now. I wish I had a watch or something to tell me what time it is; however the only indicator I have is the music on the other side and the sounds of many people whispering. I almost pray that Rei makes it to Koji without incident and can get him out of here, until I remember that no higher power exists, only death.

Suddenly the music changes and begins playing the bridal march and I tense as the door slides open, revealing the vast area where Kagami and I will be wed. I look out at the people watching me, they are all standing with bright smiles plastered on their faces, wearing their best clothes and looking as if nothing is out of the ordinary. The room has been transformed from a formal space into a grand and beautiful room with thick ivory sashes hanging from the ceiling, above me chandeliers light my way down the aisle, a string quartet plays in the corner, and a film crew on either side of the room focuses their cameras on me. I make it a point to avoid looking at the cameras; instead I focus on putting one foot in front of the other while trying to come up with a means of calling off my escape plan.

Sayu being known by Kagami and now watched by him complicates matters greatly, she is now another piece of insurance against me to make sure I behave and follow the cult leader's plan to the very letter. _'How could he have know—Parisa!'_ I realize and I glance at the pink-haired girl standing up at the altar, wearing an ivory dress, a stark contrast to Kagami and the groomsmen's night black tuxedos. She is beaming at me and I have to struggle against glaring, she has betrayed me at every step, the person I believed I could trust the most and she ends up being the one to hurt me the deepest. Even L did not destroy me as assuredly as Parisa. She traded in my confidence and friendship for a higher ring in this inferno, she probably even told Kagami about the Death Note, the source of his beloved god's powers. If he possesses it, then it is only a matter of time before he heralds in Kira's new era, with an army at his back and me unwillingly at his side.

I reach Kagami before I am even fully aware and his cold touch shakes me out of my reverie, a shiver crawls over my skin. He is smiling at me but I can see behind his mask of kindness and joy, there is a calculating wolf that is too clever for its disguise and if I am not careful, it will devour me whole.

"This way, my dear," whispers Kagami, his voice softer than the music.

He guides me up to the stairs, my hand tight in his grip, likely to keep me from running away. What he does not know is I will not run, I will not leave, not while he has Sayu and Koji as prisoners. Now if only I could tell my rescuers the same thing.

We stop when we reach the platform, we are standing above the crowd, just like Kagami wants to be over the people of the world. He turns to the crowd, our hands still linked, and smiles at the cameras. "My beloved congregation, I am so pleased that you are all here today to witness my union to Noriko Yagami, the daughter of our beloved god Kira." He flashes a smile at me. "Today is a turning point in our church with the binding of god and man in holy matrimony, a bond that can never be broken except by the finality of death."

'_I have to stall this wedding, otherwise the plan will go into action and then it will be far too late,'_ I think hurriedly, wondering what my father would do in this situation. _'He would probably steal the show.'_ I decide to do just that.

I screw up the widest, most pleasing smile I possibly can. "This truly is a wonderful day, for all of those who love and worship my father, our god Kira." Some eyes began to shift in my direction; even a camera is now focused on me. "Today is a turning point for all of us. We have been oppressed, hunted by those who believe Kira is someone to be feared rather than loved, but they simply don't understand. He is like a stern father, if you do what pleases him then you won't be punished but if you disobey him, he'll punish you as you see fit, unless you are truly remorseful for your actions. He is not without kindness and mercy." More eyes and two more cameras. "Now that I am here, I will intercede on the behalf of those who stray from the path, I will be the one who will speak for Kira when he has chosen a punishment. You are no longer alone, you now have your connection to your god that you have been longing for." Almost everyone is now looking at me. "It must be difficult to know Kira once walked with us only for him to disappear just when he was needed most. I will stand in his place for you; I do not call myself a goddess but a messiah. I do not stand above you but with you." I move down a few steps and I see a few people kneel. "No, don't kneel, I am not your god but someone who will walk with you through the hard times, comfort you in the bad, and rejoice with you in the prosperous."

Those who are kneeling stand up and I smile graciously at them, now standing on even ground. The people nearest me look as if they want to kiss my hand or touch the hem of my dress, so I walk towards them, removing my veil in the process and beckon them to come forward. Some do kiss my hand, others kneel down to touch my dress, and the rest try to move in closer just to be near me; a few of the cultists start crying.

"Hush, don't cry," I say gently, sounding like a mother or an older sister. The person nearest me, an old man, is openly crying and I lean down and cup his face. "All is well now, all can be forgiven." He only cries harder and I give him a reassuring smile as I wipe away his tears.

He holds onto my arms like he is at sea and they are his life preserver. "Sweet child, I have sinned for so long, I don't believe Kira will forgive me. Kagami certainly has not."

"Kira will," I say before kissing his forehead. I then straighten back up, I see many standing and many kneeling, some are crying and some are smiling. They want to follow me, they want me to lead them, if not then they would have simply ignored what I had to say. "My friends, we must have faith in Kira. He will be the one to guide us and I will speak for him, my words are His and—"

"Enough!" shouts Kagami, breaking the calm atmosphere that had fallen over the congregation. I turn around and see him glaring at me, he knows I did this deliberately and is not happy to suddenly have me take an interest in his people and my heritage. "We have a wedding to get on with. Parisa, please bring me my bride."

Parisa nods and begins coming towards me, a slightly malicious glint in her eyes and on instinct I back up, tripping over people in the process. Someone catches me and I nearly jump out of my skin but they are not holding me down, in fact they are pulling me through the crowd that had gathered, away from Parisa and Kagami. I look up and I see the old man I had been comforting moments ago above me, struggling to drag me away, I then look forward and see the people close ranks and keep Parisa away.

"What are you people doing?!" roars Kagami, I look up and can still see him standing on his pedestal, glowering at the people below. "She's supposed to unite the church and Kira, that's why she has to marry me!"

The old man stops dragging me and glares up at Kagami. "The fact she's here means the church and Kira has been united! You are not the church, Kagami you aren't even Kira's representative. You are merely a man who wants to play at being a god."

'_If you only knew the real Kira,'_ I muse wryly when a firecracker goes off. I look around in confusion, why would a firecracker being going off inside? It is then I feel something thick and warm land on top of my head. I will myself to look up and see blood dripping off of the old man's chin and it lands in thick drops on my forehead and hairline. Moments later, he falls backwards and I do as well, landing between his legs. I am too stunned to move, I can feel the blood trickling down my face yet my arms cannot move to wipe it away, I am completely frozen from shock.

"Someone, get her up!" shouts someone in the crowd, I feel hands on me and several people bring me to my feet. When I am upright, I look behind me and see the old man sprawled on the ground, a bullet wound in the middle of his forehead. Several people have moved forward, apparently trying to save him, but even I know without checking that he is dead. I then look back towards Kagami and see him casually holding a handgun, smirking like he has just done something impressive.

"Murderer!" I cry and the crowd turns to look at him, some gasp when they see the gun in his hand.

Kagami merely shrugs, keeping the gun well in view of everyone. "I killed him because he was a traitor to Kira, he tried to take Noriko away from me when by right she is mine."

I can feel pure, raw rage building up within me; all of the anger and fear I have felt these last few days finally comes up to the surface. "I am no one's! And that man was just trying to save me from you, Kagami! You are as corrupt and evil as the people you have killed or had killed on your orders. You've dragged Kira's name through the mud and dragged these people down with you to hell!" I barely recognize my own voice as it rings out through the room but at least I do not sound scared.

There is a shift in the room, very subtle but I can feel it. People are choosing sides and lines are being drawn, very soon it will be an all out war for supremacy with people fighting for Kagami and people fighting for me. I do not want any of these people to die for me; I have done nothing to even warrant their devotion, unfortunately I am the one who set this into motion and will have to live with more blood on my hands.

"Police!" I hear several people shout and many turn to see the Sakura TV crew wielding handguns as well. It would seem my plan to cancel my escape plan has failed.

"You're all under arrest for aiding and abetting a known criminal," says Aizawa loudly. "All of you, get on the ground with your hands out in front of you and don't try anything risky." He then points his weapon at Kagami. "And you, don't do anything or I'll shoot you."

The people around me look to me for guidance and I merely nod before getting on the ground, cooperating with the police's orders. Several more follow my lead and I breathe a sigh of relief that at least there will not be any more bloodshed.

"Suspects subdued, send in backup," I hear Mogi say and I want to cry from relief, this is all about to be over, I am going to be free of this place.

Hurried footsteps grow near to me and I dare a glance up, I see my father rushing over to me, even wearing that ridiculous Sakura TV crewmen uniform he still looks like a hero. I smile up at him and he immediately leans down, with his help I manage to stand up and we quickly embrace. His arms wrap around me like a pair of boa constrictors, I wrap my arms around him as tightly as I can and tears sting my eyes. Right now, I want nothing more than to curl up in his arms like I did when I was little.

"Noriko," he says quietly as he holds me. "My brave Noriko. You did so well. I'm so proud of you."

"I'm sorry," I say with a watery sob. "I'm so sorry, Daddy."

Matsuda shakes his head and then kisses my cheek. "We can talk about that later. God, I'm just glad you're alright."

"Isn't this wonderful!" shouts Kagami and we both turn to look at him. "Why Noriko, it would seem you slipped the police in here without me knowing, how clever you are." He cackles loudly, like a man possessed. "You know, it's too bad that your aunt couldn't make it here today . . . but wait, she is here! I was going to surprise you after the wedding but you made me ruin the surprise."

"Let her go!" I shout, knowing it will be pointless but I want to say something at least.

Matsuda lets me go and moves in front, his gun raised at Kagami. "Noriko, go find Sayu, we've got this handled."

I try to move but my gaze is locked on Kagami and the creepy way he is staring at Matsuda.

"Do you really, Officer?" he asks in a rhetorical manner and then he aims the gun at a woman near me, he fires before the police can react, and the woman's body lurches from the gunshot. As soon as the gun is fired, two doors on either side of the altar open and men with semi-automatic weapons enter the room. I recognize them as Kagami's secret service; they take aim at the crowd and the few police officers standing in the room.

"Everyone, get up and run!" I scream before I begin running towards the nearest door, when I arrive I practically throw myself against it in an effort to open it, stumbling slightly before knocking into a nearby wall. I scramble to change direction and begin running again; I do not even stop to see if anyone headed my advice. The sound of gunshots rings in my ears as I begin my desperate for Sayu.

* * *

All hell breaks loose in the room: guns go off, people scream, police hide behind whatever cover is available as Kagami systematically kills his own followers. Anyone that defended Noriko is quickly shot by him while his men release spray after spray of bullets, not aiming at anyone or anything in particular, their goal seems to be creating more chaotic surroundings and scare the people into Kagami's line of fire. From our perch on the ceiling, we have a clear view of everything going on below us, not that it is something worth watching. I look over and see Ryuk completely mesmerized by the chaos below, his red and yellow eyes following certain people right before they meet their demise at their former leader's hands.

"This is crazy!" Ryuk finally says, turning to me. For a split second, he actually looks afraid. "What made him go off like this?"

I look at Kagami, recognizing in him what is Mikami and I shake my head. "Losing."

More people scream and I watch with disgust as Kagami shoots a child.

"We need to stop this," I say, narrowing my eyes at the bastard. "Ryuk, you still need to fulfill your bargain with Noriko, about killing anyone of your choosing. This is it."

Ryuk looks at me strangely, like he cannot believe I would actually want him to kill someone. Why would I not? This man is clearly unhinged and a danger to everyone.

"Fine," sighs Ryuk and he reaches for the Death Note hanging on his waist. He suddenly pauses and stretches out his long, bony arm pointing down at something. I look and see Matsuda attempting to break from his cover behind a pillar.

"Don't do it you idiot!" I scream, despite knowing he cannot hear me. I clap my hand over my mouth, stunned that those words even left my mouth. Why would I not want him to run to his death, after all he is responsible for mine? . . . Noriko.

Matsuda does exactly what I did not want him to and bolts from cover, bobbing and weaving to avoid the gunfire, before finally taking a shot at Kagami. Surprisingly, despite the seemingly inadequate time to prepare a decent shot, the bullet connected with Kagami's right shoulder, causing him to drop his weapon.

"You might not want to kill me, Officer!" he says as he puts a hand over his bullet wound. "If I die at any point, Sayu Yagami and your son die as well!"

"This guy's crazier than Mikami!" says Ryuk and I nod my agreement.

"We need to leave," I say, standing up and he again gives me that strange look.

"Why?" he asks as he too stands up. "Where are we going?"

"We need to find Sayu and Koji before something happens to them," I reply, looking at him square in the eye, as if daring him to contradict me. "Noriko's probably gone to look for Sayu but she's going to need help in finding her if she doesn't want to end up dead."

"Are you going to go after her?" he asks and I nod. "So you want me to find the boy?"

"That would be preferable," I say as I take one last sweeping look of the carnage below. "And once you've found Koji and made sure he's safe, kill Kagami."

* * *

"God damn you, Kagami!" I swear loudly as I slam a door shut. Sayu is not in here either. So far I have searched my room, Koji's room, and now his room but there is no sign of my aunt anywhere. I stand in the middle of the room, my arms crossed and eyes closed as I try to think of where Kagami could possibly be hiding my aunt. The only place that comes to mind now is the dungeons where I was kept when I first arrived, the only problem is I have no idea where the entrance is; I was blindfolded when they brought me out and I do not have the time to go searching every room one by one.

"There you are," says a voice and I dive for cover before it registers in my mind that it is Light and not anyone who might hurt me.

I look over the chair and see him standing there, arms crossed as he stares at me. For once I am glad to see him, and I rush out from behind the chair. "Light!" I shout before throwing myself into his chest, I grip on to his tattered suit jacket, too terrified to think and too tired to care. I break down crying, burying my face in his chest to muffle the sound. In the back of my mind I realize that he is actually holding me.

His hold on me is not as constricting as Matsuda's but there is a sense of familiarity and warmth to it; despite the fact his skin is cold to the touch. He is still not as cold as Kagami. "It's okay, Noriko, everything's going to be alright. I'm here."

"I screwed up," I say, my body shaking from suppressing numerous sobs while tears race down my cheeks. I have no idea why I am crying; I just know that it makes me feel better to cry and it is all I can think to do right now. "I never should have trusted Parisa, I should've just done this on my own. You were right, Light, you were right about everything."

"That doesn't matter right now," says Light and he moves a hand in order to tilt my face up so I am looking at him. "You need to find Sayu. If Kagami dies before she's found then she and Koji die, do you understand?"

I nod. "I understand. I think I know where they're keeping Sayu but I don't know how to get there."

"The dungeons, right?" he asks and again I nod. "I followed Kagami a couple of times when he would leave, so I know exactly where it is. Don't worry, we'll find her."

"I know," I say as confidently as I can manage.

Light smiles at me for a brief moment. "Good, now where's the Death Note?"

I stare at him incredulously. "What do you mean? It's where Parisa buried it—oh my God, that little traitor. She probably gave it to him."

"I can sense that it's in this room at least, it's not with him," says Light as he lets me go, he then goes over to a nearby bureau. "I can feel its energy coming from in here." He quickly pulls out a drawer, rummaging through it before unceremoniously tossing it to the floor.

"Can you be a little more quiet about it?" I ask as I hurry to his side, assisting in the task of pulling out drawers. "We don't need his guards to know we're in here."

Light absentmindedly nods. "Sure thing."

We pull out another two drawers; he sets his down after rifling through it and I come up victorious, the black notebook in hand.

"Finally!" he says, sounding annoyed but I can hear the relief in his voice. "Now, we need to get out of here."

I shake my head. "I can't just go running around with this thing, I need to hide it so the police don't see me with it."

"Then let me take it," offers Light.

"That would just make it painfully obvious," I say and he glares at me. "Listen to me, you told me once that when a Death Note touches anything from the human world, it becomes part of it right? Well, whenever you or Ryuk touch something in the human world, like an apple or a book, it appears to be floating. You've said so yourself." I look at the notebook. "If I gave you this to carry, it would appear to float and move."

Light lets out a sharp sigh. "Fine, you have a point. You can hide it in your dress."

"I already figured that out," I quip as I reach for the zipper on the side and pull; this was another deliberate design. The dress slips down and I use my arm to hold it in place and move the notebook under the fabric, nestling it just below the top, pressing it tight against my side so it does not slip down. While the top may be formfitting, I do not trust it to not be small enough to move down. Still pinning the notebook and dress, I use my free hand to re-zip. It bends just slightly but it is not problematic. "I need a belt or a sash or something."

Light nods and looks down at the discarded contents from the bureau. There amongst the various items is a dark red silk scarf, Light picks it up and hands it to me; I shudder to think what this item has been used for in the past but right now it is serving as a temporary belt to hold the Death Note in place. I quickly wrap it twice around my waist and tie a tight bow in the back. I stand still for a moment and wait to see if the notebook will slide down, thankfully it does not and I breathe a huge sigh of relief.

"Let's go," I say and Light nods before we head out of the room.

* * *

I have no idea how we are able to make it through Kagami's house without encountering someone, it may have been set up by Kagami all along to lull me into a false sense of security; he may be planning on kidnapping or killing me once I reach Sayu, and in all honesty that seems the more likely outcome. Even knowing that is a large possibility, I stay on course. I am not about to let Sayu suffer, if there is even a slim chance of getting her free, I will take it.

"We're almost there," says Light as he guides me to a door at the far end of the house, it is the only door on the wall ahead of me. Looking at it now, I probably would have figured out where it led, although it might have still taken me a while to search. I am glad I have Light to help me.

"Thank God," I say just as we near the door. Immediately I reach for it but Light grabs my wrist. "What now?"

"It's electrified," he replies and I relax in his grip. "Allow me." He moves me out of the way and stands in front of the door; he waits exactly two seconds before bringing up his foot and kicking the door with a spectacular splintering sound.

I stare at him, curious as to how he even knew how to do that.

"L taught me," he says in response to my unasked question. "I wasn't part of the police force at the time so he taught me a few basic tools on storming a criminal nest."

I smile. "Well, at least he taught you something useful."

Light gives me a worn smile; it serves to tell me that L taught him a great deal of useful things during their time together. There is also something akin to regret in his eyes. "We should get going."

"Right," I say as I look down at the door again. "Avoid the doorknob, correct?"

"I would advise it," says Light and I almost laugh, that is closest he has ever come to displaying his signature wit in all the time I have known him. "There aren't anymore booby-traps, so lead the way, Noriko."

I nod and step through the doorway, careful of any wires or sources of electricity, I hear something strange and look to see the doorknob sparking. I realize then that it is the only source of light in this room besides the light coming in from the hallway behind me. _'I should have grabbed a flashlight,'_ I lament as I stare at the darkness in front of me.

"You'll have to use your Eyes for this," explains Light. "The only light Kagami or Parisa brought were flashlights and we don't have one."

"I didn't realize my Eyes could be used to see in the dark," I say as I close my eyes and wait patiently for the switch to happen. I feel my eyes change and when I open them, I can see the staircase in front of me with perfect clarity, despite everything being tinged red. "Now this is what you should advertise if you want to get more people to accept the deal."

Light comes up beside me and I almost jump away, instead of the young man I see with my human eyes, I see his _shinigami_ form. I had forgotten what his human appearance is truly hiding. _Kira_.

"Ready?" he asks, looking at me and I notice that his eyes, or the lights in the eye socket of his skull, are pinpricks and red.

I nod. "Sure."

Together we descend the stairs, Light at my side the entire time, and I wonder why he is when he can easily fly and beat me down to the bottom. It hardly makes sense for him to stay with me unless he believes I cannot be trusted or he is working for Kagami and it is his job to ensure that I do not run away before at least triggering his trap to capture me. The thought makes me uneasy.

When we reach the dungeon I search for any sign of Sayu, using my Eyes as means of looking without having to rely on any lights, even though I know this portion of the dungeon has them. The less I do to give away my position the better. I see a human sized blanketed lump lying in one of the cells; I can feel my heart pounding as I look above the lump for a name and there, floating gently above it, is the name Sayu Yagami. I run as fast as I can to the cell, pulling on the door and finding that it gives away with great ease.

"Noriko, wait!" shouts Light but I do not listen to him, instead I rush to my aunt's side, so relieved to have found her.

"Aunt Sayu! I'm so sorry for all of this," I say as I kneel down beside her, I begin pulling off the blanket, desperate to see her face and that she is all right. "I promise, you're getting out of here if it's the last—" The last of the blanket falls away and my hand stills, my eyes are frozen on my aunt's face in horror. Sayu is staring up at me, her eyes glazed over and unblinking, her skin a waxy sallow, and her lips are bloodless even with my second sight. My gaze manages to leave her face and look down further, where I see a gaping wound on her neck, a perfect slit across her throat. My aunt, my only living family, is now dead. Murdered by Kagami and those who worship her brother.

My mouth falls open and what comes out can only be described as a blood-curdling, unholy scream that fills my very being. This cannot be true. This cannot be what I am seeing. This has to be some sick and twisted joke, a prank or bait for a trap this cannot be true! My aunt, the sunny and smiling young girl in the picture in my locket is not this corpse, this has to be someone else. Whatever this is, it cannot be true.

* * *

I stand and watch as Noriko unwraps Sayu, I tried to stop her, to save her from the horror I knew would be waiting under that blanket; I saw Sayu's name but not her lifespan, something Noriko should have seen as well but obviously her relief at finding Sayu blinded her to the obvious. When she finally uncovers Sayu, there is a pause as she takes in what she is seeing; the sound that then comes out of her mouth will haunt me forever. She sounds like she is being attacked, or murdered, or tortured or all of the above. There is no one terrifying act that I can pin that sound on.

"Noriko, calm down!" I say loudly, trying to be heard. She still screams and it is then that I realize her screaming is drowning out my voice and all thought. Noriko is purely reacting based on emotion, not something logical or productive just a baser instinct, like the feeling that drove me to fly as fast as I could back to Noriko. Something in her scream resonates with me deep in what is left of my heart; whatever it is, it is as loud and as angry as Noriko. My baby sister, the girl whose well-being had been my responsibility since she was born, lies murdered in cold blood and my daughter is the one who found her body.

Movement draws my attention away from Noriko, I watch as a creature dressed in all black with green mechanical eyes rises up from a dark corner. It is tall and slightly human in stature but it is almost like it emerged from darkness itself. I watch as its eyes land on Noriko, not that it would be difficult to find her, and something metallic comes from within the depths of its inky body. With my Eyes I can see that it is a long, thin knife.

"Noriko!" I shout as loud as I can and she turns around too late. The creature descends upon her, driving the blade into her chest. The screaming stops and so does time itself. I watch in horror as she slumps over, her back to me but I can see the blood steadily leaking out, she sounds like she is choking or coughing and I realize she is struggling to breathe.

"May Kira reward me," I hear the creature say and I turn to it. The creature is no longer a black mass but a handful of black cloth being held in a very human hand and the green eyes are actually night vision goggles. I kick myself for not realizing it was a costume, if I had then I might have been able to do something sooner. Fortunately he has now removed his disguise and I can see his face and his name: Junji Irie. He is Noriko's former teacher and now her attacker.

"Oh I'll reward you," I say darkly, and I pull out my notebook from within my jacket. I quickly write down his name and condition of death, a heart attack in five seconds, then stand and wait for him to go down.

Irie begins walking for the door, goggles still over his eyes. I watch eagerly for any sign of his impending death. The power of the Death Note does not disappoint, five seconds later Irie makes a sound and begins choking, he goes down on his knees as he gasps for his final breaths. I turn away, not willing to give that man the honor of anymore of my time. Instead I hurry to Noriko's side.

"I'm here," I say gently as I turn her over into my lap. She is now bleeding steadily from the wound on her side and blood drips from the corners of her mouth. "It's going to be okay, Noriko, you're going to be fine."

"Don't lie," she mumbles around the blood and I manage a smile.

"I'm not," I say as I wipe away some blood from her mouth. "I promise I'm not."

Noriko musters the saddest smile I have ever seen. "Don't leave me."

"I won't," I say gently, reaching up to brush some hair out of her face. She nestles further into my lap. "Don't leave me."

"No promises," she replies and she closes her eyes.

I can feel her chest moving under my grip but it is slowing. Help will not be here soon enough to save her, this part of the house is likely not known to the police, and she will die here. I look over at Sayu's body, she looks so small and helpless in death, like she was always a child and never grew any older. Noriko will look the same when she dies.

'_When, not if.'_


	22. Truce

**A/N: We're slowly nearing the end. Don't despair, there is a rewrite in the works, so please forgive any perceived OOC-ness, I'm now writing based on my rewrites. There are changing POVs in this chapter, so be aware. Enjoy!**

* * *

Mogi and I head down the stairs into an unknown portion of the compound, almost tripping over ourselves in the process several times, as we hurry to find Noriko before anyone else does. Near will want her back in his custody as soon as he knows she has been found and we are not about to hand her over to him; he will send her away and likely imprison or execute her without us knowing. We are not about to let another one of our own die today. It was incredibly lucky that we stumbled upon the open door as we were raiding the compound, otherwise we would have never found it. We are also lucky to have been carrying industrial strength flashlights otherwise navigating would have been impossible.

"Do you think she found Sayu?" asks Mogi, slightly winded as we descend the last of the steps, it is even darker in here than the staircase.

I shrug before remembering that he cannot really see me. "I'm not sure, but I sure as hell hope so. It'll make what we have to tell her a little easier."

"I can't believe he's gone," Mogi laments and I can hear the barest hint of tears in his voice. "I thought he'd outlive us all."

"I know," I say gently as I shine my light on the nearby wall, looking for a light switch or something that would make this place a little easier to navigate. I find a newly installed circuit breaker and carefully flip one of the switches labeled 'cells' and the moment I do, light floods the space. I am blinded for a few seconds and when my eyes adjust, I almost slam the lights off again. In the cell just across from us, is Noriko lying in a large pool of blood and beside her is a small female body and just outside of the cell is a male body. I can already tell that the other female is Sayu.

"Oh my God!" I exclaim before rushing over to her and I hear Mogi hurry after me. We barely step over the man's body in our haste. I fall to my knees beside her and a very cold chill washes over me, like I just walked through a ghost or something. I shake it off as shock.

Mogi comes to a halt behind me and sucks in a breath. "No."

I say nothing in response instead I reach out for her throat with a slightly trembling hand and press it against where her pulse would normally be. I honestly expect there to be nothing. Her face is as white as a sheet and her lips are a faded pink, I cannot see her chest moving and her eyes are closed to the world. If it were not for the blood, she would have appeared to be sleeping. When my fingers make contact with her neck, I gently press down and wait a few seconds, then to my great disbelief there is the tiniest flutter of a pulse. My heart races and I wait again, hoping against hope that she is still alive. I feel the flutter again. "She's alive!"

Mogi wastes no time and pushes me out of his way as he bends down to pick her up in his arms. Blood covers his hands immediately and drips down onto the floor but he hardly seems fazed, his eyes are on the pale and limp body in his arms, while mine go to the knife lodged in her side.

"Get her to Lidner," I order calmly. "Make sure no one sees you."

"I will," says Mogi, his voice tight as he carefully maneuvers to reach for his flashlight while still holding Noriko. I am a little impressed when he manages to hold the flashlight in one hand and support her between his arms. "What about you?"

"I'm going to assess the scene," I reply, trying to make this sound like any other case when in fact this is anything but. "I'll see you at the rendezvous point."

Mogi nods and heads for the stairs, obviously torn between racing up them with everything he has and moving as gently as possible so as not to jostle Noriko. He settles for a strange middle ground and briskly walks up the stairs. I turn back to the pool of blood, it is massive and seems to me like Noriko has lost nearly all of her supply. It makes me sick to think about. I manage to look elsewhere but that is not any better, as I see Sayu lying on her back, partially wrapped in a blanket with a large slit cut cleanly across her throat. Given the lack of blood I know that this is not where Sayu had been murdered but that does not bring me any comfort. Almost all of the Chief's family is dead and if Noriko makes it then she will be the last living Yagami. Unless her father is out there somewhere waiting for the right moment to strike.

I shudder as I think about Light and the hell he would bring down on our heads if he found out what had happened, then again would he even care? He never seemed like the fatherly type, he seemed like the type of man who would have children out of obligation rather than desire. Ah, it might just be the bitter cynic in me, wanting to make Light out to be someone that was not completely human just so I feel easier about what happened to him. Even though he was Kira, he did not deserve death, at least not in the way it was delivered. He should have been given a trial and then an execution but then again, who am I to judge? He might have gotten exactly what he deserved.

Noriko on the other hand does not deserve to die nor does she deserve to be hidden away from the rest of the world like some hardened menace to society. She is a good girl, someone who always wanted to make the world a better place; she at least deserves that chance. If she dies now, then these last nineteen years have been for nothing, for us and for her.

"_Aizawa, where are you?_" asks Ide through my earpiece, some new tech courtesy of Raku and her connections to the CIA.

"Basement dungeon," I reply as I stand up and look down at the dead man just a few feet away, wondering how he could have died. I do not see any blood or injuries. "Mogi has her, he's on his way to Lidner's position."

"_Good,_" says Ide, his voice soft. "_Raku and Koji are as well. We have Rei Irie in custody but I suspect we'll release her soon, after all her only crime is her religion. Koji vouched for her good nature._"

I smile despite myself, that boy has always been a miniature Matsuda, although he does have his mother's seriousness and level-headed thinking when the time calls for it. "Good, now what do we tell Near?"

"_Not the truth,_" replies Ide with a slight chuckle. "_I've already spoken with the police forces we have here; they're not going to let anyone from L's organization in without our authorization as this was our investigation to begin with and Raku's already had the CIA and FBI put in cover stories for all of us._"

I nod, nothing in the cells is sticking out to me. "I'm glad Matsuda didn't share Noriko's plan with Near, otherwise we'd be dealing with a much bigger mess. Were the decoy teams in place at the other residences?"

"_Yes,_" says Ide. "_We're going to have a record number of arrests today, Superintendent._"

I smirk. "Good work, now get going, I'll meet you in ten minutes."

"_Yes, sir, over and out,_" says Ide and the line turns off.

When the line goes silent, I exhale a shaky breath. There is one more task I have to do and it is one I do not take any pleasure in doing. Carefully, I walk back to the cell I found Noriko in and head over to Sayu's body. The girl looks so small in death. I want to cry when I think of her as a girl, Sayu Yagami has not been a girl in many years but that is still how I see her, the young girl with a ready smile and a cheery disposition even in a difficult time. Damn Mello for what he made her endure.

I put on a pair of latex gloves I had in my pocket and kneel down beside her before I pick up her body, making sure to support her head as I transfer her from the blanket to the stone floor. She is so light. Quickly I pick up the blanket and fluff it out so it is at its full width and I lay it across the puddle of Noriko's blood; I watch as the blood soaks into the rough fibers of the blanket and when I am sure it is saturated enough, I go over and pick Sayu up again. Gently I lay her face down on the blanket, making sure her neck wound is pressed against the blanket and in a believable spot. It pains me to do this, I had hoped to never stage and cover up a crime scene but this situation has all of us doing the unimaginable.

"I hope you're at peace, Sayu," I say softly, stroking the back of her head, "and I hope you can forgive me."

I linger beside her for a few moments before I turn my attention to the man lying sprawled at the cell's entrance. I have no idea how he died but I have a sneaking suspicion it was due to a heart attack, after all there are no wounds on his body. Turning my gaze to the ceiling, I sigh heavily, "You know, Light, if you wanted it to look believable you should have had him die in an accident or something."

I look back down and I swear I hear Light's laugh coming from the shadows.

Shaking off the feeling, I change gloves and go over to the man. With a sigh, I turn him over on to his back, his unseeing gaze a little unsettling as I look at his eyes. Then, hoping that I am forgiven in the afterlife for what I am about to do, I proceed to slam the man's head against the stone floor as hard as I possibly can. There is a sick crunch and I do not have to look to know what I have done. I am very lucky that the man has not been dead too long, otherwise this would have been impossible to accomplish and would have revealed that this whole scene is staged. This is not how I wanted to do things but I do not really have a choice if I want to throw the investigation off of Noriko's trail.

I survey the scene and frown, there is one more detail I need to ensure my scene is believable. I spy a tool kit in the corner, that is exactly what I need, so I move it and put it under the man's feet, making it appear that he tripped over it by mistake and the resulting fall shattered his skull. It looks believable enough. Satisfied that I have at least bought us a few days, I remove my gloves and put them in my pocket along with the sullied ones from moving Sayu. It would not look good if her DNA ended up on the man's face when it is clear she could not have been responsible for his death.

I stand up and look again at the scene, it is completely transformed. Until someone takes a closer look at the forensic evidence, which will not happen for some time at least, it is completely plausible. Making sure that I have not left anything behind that might implicate myself or Mogi I head back upstairs, shutting off the light as I depart.

When I finally reach the outside of the compound, it is controlled chaos with police officers arresting people by the dozens and putting them in large armored trucks while EMTs rush with people on stretchers from inside the compound. Many stretchers and body bags line the front courtyard, and I notice many officers who are not busy helping the EMTs load people into ambulances or moving the dead into bags. I stand there surveying this scene playing out before me and it feels like a dream.

"Sir," I hear someone say to my right. I look and see an officer, his arm up in a salute, "we're ready to investigate the compound."

"How many survivors?" I ask, trying to remain as calm as I can.

The man's eyes dim just slightly. "One hundred. The rest are dead or dying, many of them will not survive the ride to the hospital or the night, sir."

I nod, as much as I would have liked to ensure everyone's survival, I knew going in to this that that was a long shot. "And Koji?"

"Alive," says the officer, although I already knew that. "He and his mother were taken away by Ide not too long ago." He then drops his arm and all pretenses. "I'm . . . I'm sorry about Matsuda, I know you worked with him for a long time."

"Yes, well, he died a hero," I say soberly, barely keeping my sorrow in check. "Make sure he's treated with the utmost respect when you return him home."

"Yes, sir," says the officer and I continue on towards my car, which is parked just beyond the chaos of police tape, sirens, ambulances, and police officers. We certainly called in every available resource for this mission. When I get in my car, I finally allow myself to let what has happened sink in, and I let a few tears fall.

* * *

The drive to our new hideout does not seem to take as long as I would like, I am there far too soon and with too many conflicting thoughts. We agreed to do this because we wanted to keep Noriko safe and away from Near for as long as possible, none of us want to see her locked away for the rest of her life or constantly wondering if Near has had her executed in secret someplace. Our original plan had been for her, Matsuda, Raku, and Koji to all go underground and hide from Near but now with Matsuda dead and Noriko near death herself, the plan has to change. We might just have Noriko go in hiding someplace, if she survives of course, but what to do about Matsuda's family? Without him, they have no means of support, and I highly doubt that Near is going to offer Raku employment again after the way she sided with us over him. I might just buy them a one-way ticket to the States so they can be with her family. Yes, that seems like the better plan. Noriko might have to be hidden in unfamiliar territory, maybe Europe, but not England. That is if she even survived the ride to the new headquarters. This would be a little easier if she dies. No, I cannot think like that, then Matsuda would have died for nothing. There has to be a way to save her.

Finally I work up the nerve to leave the car, walking up the path to a familiar looking wood cabin. This is the Chief's cabin, the one he bought right after he rescued Sayu from Mello's mafia cronies, and where he made that fateful decision to use the notebook to try and get the one back from Mello. In hindsight, we should have had Light use it, we could have proven he was Kira then and saved ourselves the trouble . . . and the Chief might still be alive.

When I enter the cabin, everyone is already there: Raku, Koji, Ide, Mogi, and to my great surprise Rester. I do not see Lidner but that must mean she is in the back with Noriko. Who knew she had been trained under Near as a surgeon as well as a spy? Everyone seems relieved to see me and I have to admit, I am more than a little relieved to see all of them as well. I dare to look at Raku, there are fresh tear trails down her cheeks but she seems to be holding her composure admirably under the circumstances. Koji has his head down on the kitchen table, I can only guess as to what he is doing or how he is holding up.

"How is she?" I finally ask as I shut the door. I head over to the kitchen where everyone has gathered for the time being.

"It's not good," says Rester softly. "When Mogi brought her in, we thought she was dead. Lidner insisted she had felt a pulse, so she took Noriko back."

Ide makes a noise in the back of his throat. "I still can't believe she's a surgeon, it seems too convenient."

Rester rolls his eyes. "In our line of work, going to a hospital isn't always possible. Near had her trained for emergency situations, just like I am trained as a pilot and ship's captain and Gevanni has been trained as a gourmet chef and as a black belt. Near rarely leaves anything to chance."

"How are you even alive?" counters Ide with a sneer. "Last we heard, you had gone dark and Near assumed you were dead."

"I almost was," says Rester with a shrug. "Parisa Saito's family found me out and tried several times to kill me. Their last attempt was right before they left for the compound, her father shot me in the liver and left me for dead. If it had not been for the Kevlar I was wearing at the time, I wouldn't be standing here."

"We're glad you're here, Rester," says Raku softly.

Rester's gaze softens when she speaks. "I wouldn't be here without you, Raku. You saved me and now I can return the favor."

I sigh as I sit down at the table across from Koji. "This certainly didn't go to plan."

Everyone shakes their heads. If Matsuda had lived, he would have called this a victory, but now that he is gone it feels as if we have failed in our mission despite securing Noriko.

"There's something you need to know," says Mogi and he pulls something out of his pocket. I nearly fall out of my seat when I see the notebook in his hands. There is a collective gasp from all present. "This was found on Noriko when we brought her in."

The notebook has a huge hole through the center, likely from the knife that had stabbed Noriko, and from where I am sitting it looks as if every page has been soaked in blood.

"Can you confirm if there is a _shinigami_ attached to it?" asks Ide sternly.

Mogi says nothing, instead he holds the notebook out and I understand immediately. I reach up and touch it; Raku does the same, followed by Rester and Ide. We all look around for any sign of a _shinigami_ and I finally see him hanging out on the ceiling.

"Ryuk!" I exclaim and everyone looks up to see the creature. Raku and Rester are the only ones that gasp, having not seen him before now.

Ryuk startles when he realizes we can see him. "H-Hey Aizawa. How's it going?"

"What the hell are you doing here?" demands Ide angrily. He never really got along with the _shinigami_ to begin with.

"Who?" asks Koji, now looking up at the ceiling. "Who's up there?"

I look at Mogi and silently gesture for him to let Koji touch the notebook, I can tell his is reluctant but given how far into this he has been pulled, it is only appropriate that he know absolutely everything. Mogi brushes Koji's arm with the spine of the book and immediately the boy tenses, now able to see the god of death.

"So you're Ryuk," he says and we all look at him with a mix of curiosity and bewilderment. "My dad told me bedtime stories about you. He didn't describe you right, though."

"I'm not sure whether or not I should be flattered," says Ryuk, rolling his large eyes as he jumps down to the floor, standing amongst us. Those standing move just a little bit away from him.

Koji does not seem put off by the _shinigami's_ poor attitude. "Is Noriko going to die?"

Ryuk seems a little lost for words, not to mention a tiny bit afraid, but he quickly recovers by shrugging at the question. "How should I know? _Shinigami_ only exist to take human lives, not to predict or create them, that's up to the _tanjokami_."

I take a step towards him, not going to give him further opportunity to speak to Koji. "Why are you here, Ryuk? Were you the one who gave Noriko that Death Note?"

Ryuk rolls his eyes again. They look like marbles rolling around in his skull. "Listen, I don't have anything to do with this. I'm here because I'm bored, just like last time. I'm just following Noriko around until Light—"

"Light?!"

* * *

I watch at Noriko's bedside as Lidner and Rei Irie work to save her life, their hands steadily but quickly working to repair the internal damage likely done to her lung, pleura, arteries, muscles, and tissue. The room has been transformed into a surgical theatre, complete with hospital bed, sharp implements, and green medical scrubs. I try not to wonder about how they acquired all of this medical equipment and how they were able to move it to my family's cabin—the fact they came here amuses and irritates me—without arousing Near's suspicions.

"She's losing blood," says Rei gently, as if afraid she is saying the wrong thing. Whatever her husband did to her, it will have a lasting impact.

"Damn it," huffs Lidner and she reaches for something on one of the nearby metal trays. I see that it is a clamp. "I thought we had sealed up all loose blood vessels."

"We must have missed one," says Rei just as more blood comes spilling out onto the floor. "Do you know her blood type?"

"It's A," replies Lidner as Rei rushes to a large drink cooler in the corner. I watch her open it and see multiple packets of blood inside, she reaches for two packs of type A blood and hurries back to Lidner's side.

"Blood on standby," says Rei as she puts the blood in a kidney bowl. "Have you found the source of the leak?"

Lidner nods but does not speak. I watch in anticipation as she moves the clamp into Noriko's wound, her hands are steady as she now works to secure the clamp in place. We both release a breath when the blood trickling to the floor ceases considerably in flow.

"Suction," says Lidner and Rei immediately brings in a tool, suctioning blood out from the wound. She then reaches for stitches on a small hook and two pairs of small tweezers. I breathe a sigh of relief; whatever is bleeding is obviously repairable. Lidner repairs the injury with very little fuss and moves on to other things.

I tear my gaze away from the sight, unable to watch the rest of the surgery on my daughter. 'My daughter' not 'my heir'. I want to kick myself for ever having considered her as nothing more than the heir to my legacy. I have reduced a human being, a person with her own thoughts and dreams, to little more than a means to an end. Perhaps I am more like L than even I realized.

I discreetly brush some of her hair out of her face. I see myself whenever I look at her, a less jaded version of myself. She is so young and so beautiful, how could I have never noticed? I finally allow myself to take in her features completely, really looking at the girl Misa and I created so many years ago. At first glance, anyone would say that Noriko looks like me completely, but I can see subtle differences that hint to her mother. Her eyebrows have a dainty arch, her eyes are wider than mine and seem to take in more of the world, the tip of her nose curves up like Misa's did, and her lips are completely Misa's. She is our perfect child, a beautiful combination of the best of us, and I have nearly destroyed her.

I remember watching this beautiful creature be born, I had been watching Misa throughout her pregnancy, waiting for that moment. Noriko was early, despite Misa's best efforts, and she was in so much pain when she gave birth to our child. I smirk, this is the first time I have acknowledged that Noriko is my child with Misa. I often try to separate the two, thinking of Misa as merely a womb and not her mother.

Misa nearly died during the birthing process, she hemorrhaged and it took the doctors far too long to fix it, and I felt sorry for her; she looked so scared and alone. For a moment I wished I had been there with her, holding her hand as she fell back against the bed, unconscious and dying. I had to stop watching her then, it was too much to see her like that, something that had surprised me greatly. I switched my gaze to Noriko, who at the time had not been named, and I stared at her tiny face and small features with fascination. She was born with a head full of hair, my exact color, and she was quiet. She hardly cried, barely made any sound at all, and I thought she might be dead. I had sat there on the rock above the portal to the human world shaking inwardly as I waited for some sign that she would survive. I only heard her let out the feeblest of cries when she was born and there was nothing after that, just silence until the nurse wrapped her up in a blanket and vigorously rubbed her back. Then she let out a wail that made my heart soar, my child was alive. My daughter would live.

Now I sit watching people working to save her life; my daughter lies in death's doorway again and again I am completely helpless. If only I had stopped that knife. If only I had saved her from Kagami to begin with. If only I had not given Ryuk the Death Note to give to her. If only I had not picked up my Death Note in the first place. That last thought makes me pause, what would have happened if I had not picked up the notebook? Would I have even met L and Misa? Would Noriko have ever come into existence? I shake my head, now is not the time to be wishing something had been done differently when nothing could be changed now. Again I look at Noriko and feel what is left of my heart aching for her, she looks so small and fragile, like she is already dead.

I look above her head at the name and numbers floating above. _Shinigami_ can see the names of all people, even those who own a Death Note and right now it is the only comfort I can take at the moment, the only sure sign that Noriko is still alive. I look over at Lidner, sweat is gathering on her brow and her eyes are nearly crossed from concentrating so hard. I am sure she can see me, but is just ignoring me; after all she was the one who unpinned the Death Note from Noriko's side, a sickening sight that I hope to never see again. Reaching over, I use the cuff on my suit sleeve to wipe away the sweat, the least I can do for the woman saving my child's life. She stills for only a moment then goes right back to work.

"Rei, go out and get a drink of water for us," orders Lidner as she continues stitching something inside of Noriko. "I have things handled for the moment."

Rei nods and takes off her blood covered latex gloves, tossing them in the nearest trashcan before leaving the room. I watch her leave, a pit in my stomach as I turn to face Lidner, who is staring at me.

"Thank you," I say sincerely, glancing down at Noriko. "I owe you her life."

Lidner's expression becomes hard under the mask she is wearing. "I'm not doing this for you, I'm doing this because it's right." She lets out a sigh. "It's a miracle she was even alive when we found her."

I nod. "I did my best to keep her alive for as long as possible, mostly just applying pressure to the wound. The notebook did a good job soaking up the blood."

"Finally, a humane use for that thing," sneers Lidner and I bristle just slightly. "So you became a _shinigami_ after death?"

"Yeah," I reply with a slight smirk. "I hear there wasn't a body to recover."

Lidner shakes her head. "No, and we looked all over that place for you. The closest thing we found was a small puddle of blood. That was enough to convince Near you were still alive." She glares at me. "His obsession with you has ruined his life."

"It's his own damn fault," I scoff. "I'm not the one who's preventing him from letting go of the case, I'm not the one who made him waste time and energy trying to chase a ghost. That's all his doing. I'm just the object of his obsession."

A heavy silence falls over us as my words hang between us.

"Fine, I suppose you have a point," she concedes after a few moments. During all of this, she has continued to work on Noriko, I am impressed she can argue and repair a knife wound simultaneously. "Was the cult your idea?"

I shake my head, a little offended that she would even think I am responsible for that trash. "No, I didn't have anyone else under me whom could have organized such a horrific mess. Whoever created it was not working under my orders."

Some of the tension in her shoulders seems to leave but she still remains on guard, likely afraid I am going to kill her. "I'm not sure what to think of that then, it was easier to just blame you for it." She reaches for a sponge on a stick and puts it in the wound. "Maybe I just wanted it to be you because I couldn't stand the thought of normal people being behind it. I didn't want to think your influence had reached that point."

"That's understandable," I say slowly, watching her as I speak. "And in all honesty, I believe the vast majority of the population would be very disappointed to learn that their god was a human man who was merely given a gift of power. They probably would have killed me."

Lidner glances up at me, her light hazel eyes boring into me with an intensity I have not seen before. "If that were so, you wouldn't have truly been the god you wanted to be, you would've had to stay hidden."

"I know," I say quietly and I look at Noriko. If I had lived, if I had not been turned into a _shinigami_, she and Misa would have lived with me as my family . . . what a strange thought. I doubt, however, that I would have had the time or patience to actually be part of her life. I would have been otherwise occupied with dispensing my idea of justice and ensuring that others bent to my demands. I would not have had time to be a father, so it seems strange to me that now, in a form I did not foresee, I can be more of a father to her than I could have been as a human.

When I was in the _Shinigami_ Realm, I watched her almost all of the time; it was something to occupy my near endless existence, at least that is what I told myself at first. As I watched her, I found myself becoming enthralled in her triumphs, despaired with her struggles, and eager to see what each day would bring her. From my seemingly permanent perch, I observed her every movement, tucking every new piece of information about her in my memory for safekeeping. I know more about her than she thinks I do, Noriko likely sees any interest I have in her as purely manipulation and a means to control her. It pains me to think about, to know that the child I made and watched over does not see me as her father; then again, I did not do myself any favors.

"I should let you work in peace," I say at last and Lidner seems a little surprised. "Just . . . make sure she isn't in any pain when you're done."

"I will, Light," she says before returning her full attention to the wound.

I turn to leave just as Rei enters carrying two glasses of water. She seems to be in good spirits despite the fact she is essentially a prisoner of the police, perhaps it is because she is doing something good? I shake my head. I will never fully understand humans, as one of them or as a _shinigami_.

I faze through the door and enter the living area, where a fist attempts to connect with my cheek but it just goes right through. I turn and see Ide, his jaw clenched and eyes burning with rage, his fist is still extended out despite the fact I have moved out of its way.

"Well, that certainly wasn't what I was expecting," I say and it seems to snap some sense into him and he retracts his fist. He seems terrified that I can actually speak. I look ahead and see the rest of the Task Force staring at me, Ryuk just stands in the kitchen eating an apple and watching like this is part of an entertaining show. "I guess Lidner gave you the notebook?"

"She gave it to Uncle Mogi," says Koji and I start when I realize the child can see me as well. He leaves his spot at the table and walks up to me, he looks so much like Matsuda it is startling. "So you're Light Yagami, huh?"

I nod.

"And Kira?"

I nod again.

"And Noriko's real dad?"

I smile slightly as I nod.

"Is she going to be okay? Miss Rei didn't say anything."

I kneel down in front of him and put a hand on his shoulder, I hear someone jump up and I assume it is his mother getting ready to defend her son against me. "I don't know," I reply softly and he seems to have expected this answer. "What happened to her was not good and she's fighting very hard to stay alive and Miss Lidner and Miss Rei are helping her. It may be a while before we know for sure that she'll be okay."

"Thank you," says Koji and I let out a breath I had not been aware of holding. His dark blue eyes seem downcast now. "It's too bad that she won't be able to keep Dad company, but I'm glad she'll get to stay with us."

That grabs my attention. "Why? What happened to your dad?"

Koji seems a little relieved that I do not know what happened to Matsuda. "He died, Mr. Yagami."

"What?" I say, a little breathless. I look to Aizawa for answers. "Are you sure?"

Aizawa solemnly nods. "Yes, I was there." His composure seems to be breaking as his eyes become distant with memories. "We were attempting to subdue the armed men in the room, they were starting to turn their weapons on the people and we couldn't allow any more deaths . . . Matsuda was so determined to end it before more lives were lost . . . he kept aiming for Kagami, trying to shoot his other arm to prevent him from killing further . . . and he ran from cover . . ."

That idiot! I told him not to do that!

"Maybe we shouldn't give out the details with everyone present," says Ide diplomatically, glancing at Raku and Koji, both of whom seem to be growing paler by the second.

"No, I want to hear this," declares Koji bravely. "I want to know how Dad died and I'm sure Mom does, too." He looks to his mother for support.

Raku seems torn between agreeing with her son and wrapping him up in bubble wrap to keep him safe from all the dangers in the world. It is that side that ultimately wins out. "Koji, why don't we go in another room and call Grandma and Grandpa? They need to know you're safe."

There is something in her voice that deters Koji from arguing with his mother, instead he meekly leaves my side and goes to her, she takes his hand and leads him away from the kitchen into a room I know used to be Sayu's. Rester follows behind, probably serving as a bodyguard of sorts for the family. I stand back up and we all watch them leave, when the door clicks closed, we all look at each other. The atmosphere is oppressive and discourages conversation, but Aizawa clears his throat anyway.

"He ran straight for Kagami," he continues as his voice becomes clogged with emotion. "We tried to tell him to stay back and we'd all take him, but he wasn't in the mood to listen. He went right into Kagami's path and shot at him just as Kagami did at him . . . they both went down . . . the gunfire stopped long enough for me to pull him back into cover . . . there was so much blood . . . " He stops for a moment and closes his eyes, his breathing now slightly erratic. I have never seen Aizawa so emotional, not even when my father died. "He held on for a few minutes, he even made a bad joke about us finally being rid of him . . . and then he said something else and died . . ."

Silence reigns after Aizawa has finished speaking. He seems completely shattered and the rest of the Task Force seems just as heartbroken. I must admit that even I find it difficult to comprehend that Matsuda will no longer be around, that that smiling idiot is dead. I cannot even think of it as justice for what he did to me all those years ago.

"Why are you even here?" demands Ide after a spell. "Is this some sort of divine punishment for what we did to Noriko and our parts in your death?"

I refrain from showing any emotion, better to let him come to his own conclusions than for me to confirm anything. The notebook being in Noriko's possession is enough to have her incarcerated for life and if they find out she has used it, then she will be executed. If they think I am on her side in anyway, that will just confirm everything for them and I cannot let her be caught. "I'm here because I want to be," I reply smoothly.

"And the notebook?" asks Mogi, the only one of the three that sounds a little rational. "Did you give it to Noriko?"

"No," I reply easily, it is the truth more or less. Ryuk was the one who gave it to her, after all.

"Then how did she get it?" asks Aizawa curiously, likely looking for any sign that I am lying.

"She found it at Kagami's compound," I say with a slight shrug, again it is technically the truth. Noriko was given the Death Note by Ryuk, but that is not the question that was asked, and she did technically find it at the compound.

"And you just happened to be attached to it? I'm not buying it," sneers Ide and I have to fight against biting back, for once he is not being his typical useless self. "Did you or did you not give the notebook to Noriko?"

"I didn't," I say calmly. "I have nothing to do with how it currently came into her possession."

"Why did you give it to her now?" asks Aizawa pointedly, their questions are really starting to irritate me.

"Personal reasons," I reply, again the technical truth. I helped her find it because I did not want the police to find it first, I wanted her to use it to possibly kill Kagami and anyone in her way. Too bad that plan fell through. "Why did you break away from Near?"

Their faces, impassive before, now reveal their shock at my question. Apparently they had expected me to know nothing.

"How did you know we were with him?" asks Ide, sounding triumphant.

"I didn't, you just told me," I say and smile inwardly at his defeat. "You know, this is hardly the reunion I expected. I thought you would try to shoot me. Ide at least tried to punch me."

"I should've tried something else," he mutters, obviously ashamed that he did not even leave a mark on me.

Surprisingly, Aizawa chuckles. "Don't get us wrong, we're still not part of your fan club, and if Ryuk hadn't let it slip that you were here, we probably would have shot at you." He glances at Ryuk, who is onto his third apple already then he looks back at me. "But we didn't because we need your help. You were right in thinking we had left Near because we did, we couldn't stand his methods any longer, especially when he informed us that he had been manipulating Noriko's life to try and turn her into Kira. We also weren't too happy about his cold attitude towards taking Noriko away from Raku and Matsuda, we thought she deserved the chance to have a life, which is why we're here." He rubs his eyes. "Noriko being found with the Death Note doesn't do her any favors, especially now that Near has evidence that she might have been Kira at some point," he stares coldly at me, as if knowing I had withheld facts from him, "and we're trying to come up with a means of hiding her from Near forever. We can't let her stay with her adopted family, it would be too suspicious of all three of them went missing, so we've been coming up with alternatives. Do you think we could put aside our differences long enough to save Noriko from Near?"

I look at him suspiciously. "Why do you want my help? Aren't you at all worried that I might kill you the first chance I get?"

"Yes," replies Aizawa easily. "This wasn't our first option, Light and frankly it's our last resort. We don't _want_ your help, we _need_ your help and we're pinning all our hopes on the chance that you're still human enough to care about your daughter's welfare."

"Which is a long shot," supplies Ide.

I stare at them dumbfounded. This has to be a joke, but I know it is not. They are serious about needing my help. They know what I am capable of doing to them, they admitted it just moments ago, and they are worried that I will kill them at some point. I will not but they do not know that. They are risking their own lives to help Noriko escape what seems like her destined fate, a child they could easily wash their hands of and abandon to the wolves if they so wished. Instead they are taking the task to keep her safe upon themselves and I am more than a little grateful. There is only one conclusion to which I can come. "I'll help you."


	23. Broken

I should be dead. My life should have ended when that knife went into my chest, I should be in the realm of nothing, free from the burden of living. Instead I am strapped to a surface unable to move freely and in more pain than I ever remember being in in my entire life. My chest burns like it is on fire and I wince every time I take even the shallowest of breaths, which only causes me to feel more pain. My head is throbbing, likely due to the fact I kept my Eyes in too long, and I feel incredibly sick to my stomach. Death would have been a relief.

I try to sleep my pain away, floating in and out of consciousness frequently enough that I can no longer keep track of the days and nights and the voices that seem to constantly be around me. Sometimes, I can escape the pain for a brief time; this is when I sleep the deepest and the longest. More often than not, I am unable to fall completely asleep and instead linger in that purgatory between wakefulness and sleep, and it is then when the pain nearly overwhelms me and I struggle to breathe. I wish that knife had cut my heart open.

The voices around me change every so often, some are deep and rumble like thunder while others are lighter and seem to be musical. Only one voice is my constant companion and lifeline thread, weaving in and out of my mind as I pretend or manage to sleep, this is the voice that brings me the most comfort and is the one that tells me I am still alive. Something in my heart tells me that if that voice leaves, I will fall apart, as it is my only anchor to the world of the living.

I finally become aware of feeling beyond pain and the first thing I feel is the bandage on my chest and the stitches that cling to the material. The bandage itches. I try to move my hand, half expecting it to be pinned to my side as usual but to my great surprise it is free of its bindings. Unfortunately as I lift my hand something grabs it and gently brings it back down to the bed, holding it in place for a few moments. I try to lift my other hand but it is on my injured side and lifting it shoots bolts of pain through my body, so I drop it in defeat. Again, pain conquers me and I wince, trying to breathe through the pain but it is to no avail. I let out the softest sigh I have ever heard and try to focus on fixing one problem at a time, the first and foremost being the itchy feeling on my left side.

"Itchy," I try to say but it does not even come out as a word, more like a hoarse echo of a word. Something cool then hits my lips. It feels like water. Carefully I open my mouth—my jaw feels like it has been strapped shut and is only now being unhinged—as wide as I can manage and instantly water touches my tongue, soaking into the parched flesh and I want to cry from relief. The water gathers in the back of my mouth and it requires more concentration than I like to swallow the small mouthful. It hurts a little as it goes down but it moistens my throat enough that I know I can get a word out. Tentatively I finally open my heavy and slightly irritated eyes, expecting to see a doctor or nurse standing over me; instead I see Light staring down at me, a glass of water in one hand and a straw in the other.

"Light," I manage to say and this time it comes out as it should.

He smiles. "Hey Nori," he says softly as he places the items down. He then seems to think better of it. "Do you need more water?"

I nod and from the corner of my eye I watch him use the straw to draw up water from the cup, he then returns with it and I eagerly open my mouth, he lowers the straw so it rests on my lips and slowly releases the water. When it is empty, I swallow while he readies another straw-full. We repeat the cycle another three times before I finally keep my lips shut when he comes back with the straw, my signal that I am finished. Light nods and puts it down.

"How do you feel?" he asks and I try to shrug, only to once again be hit by intense pain, this time from almost all of my muscles. I must have been immobile for a while.

"Been better," I finally manage, sounding a little more than breathless. "Can I have something for the pain?"

Light looks at something over my shoulder and I hear him sigh heavily, "We're out of liquid morphine." He looks down at me, concern in his eyes. "I could give you pills but you haven't had anything solid to eat and I don't want to risk you getting sick."

"What have I been eating then?" I ask nervously, wondering if I have been fed at all; L might be trying to kill me by starvation.

"Mostly soup and a protein-vitamin paste Lidner whipped up," replies Light as he fusses with something or other. "You've been out of it for about four days now, just so you know and you aren't being kept at Near's headquarters, you're in my family's cabin." I hear him move behind me and then I hear something rattle. "I'm going to try to sit you up now, just keep still."

I do my best to listen and try to keep myself as still as possible while Light slowly lifts the head of the bed into a more upright position. The slight jiggling from the bed as it moves jars my injured body further, the pain rockets through every nerve ending in the vicinity and I cry out despite my best efforts. The bed immediately ceases to move and I feel a weight on my shoulder, I roll my head enough to the side and see Light's hand. His eyes are locked on mine as if searching for some kind of answer.

"I'll be fine," I say with slightly labored breaths, the pain is almost enough to render me completely breathless. "Keep going."

Light hesitates and I fix him with the sternest look I can manage, which probably could not even frighten a kitten at this point. Still, he obliges and soon enough the bed begins to move again, this time I twist my hands in the quilt covering me and brace myself for what is coming. It still hurts like hell to be moved but I manage it and soon enough I am sitting up, now able to see the room I have been in for the last four days. As Light said, I am not being kept in a room at headquarters, the room is too rustic to be from that building. It is a simple room with dark wood floors and off-white walls, the only furniture I see is the bed I am in, a few end tables shoved into a corner, one by my bedside, an IV stand with a nearly empty clear bag attached, and a television with a DVD player across from me. There is a window to my left and two doors to my right and one close to the television. The window shows a cloudy day, not unlike the day I first found the notebook.

A cold sweat breaks out on my skin and I nearly fall out of bed when I think about the notebook. It had been on me when I was attacked and if I have been stitched up, that can only mean someone found the notebook!

"They know about me," says Light, as if reading my mind and I curse myself for being so obviously panicked. "Lidner found the notebook and gave it to Mogi, who in turn let the others touch it so they are able to see me and Ryuk."

"Am I under arrest?" I ask softly and to my great surprise Light shakes his head.

"They believe you simply found it at the compound," he says quietly, so quietly in fact that I almost miss his words. "They don't know that you've used it."

I am not sure whether to be relieved or not. On one hand, it is great news that the notebook can no longer be used and that the others do not know I have been acting as Kira, on the other, I feel terrible for lying to them yet again. They do not deserve to be treated like this, to have their trust toyed with and misused especially after all they have done for me. It feels wrong to keep this up.

"Why didn't you tell them the truth?" I ask, clearly annoyed and a little disappointed. "They can already see you, they know you're attached to me, why lie?"

Light's hand returns to my shoulder and gently massages the spot. "I wanted to protect you, I wasn't sure how they'd react to the truth so I told them a different version. It's no less true, just not the complete story." His hand becomes slightly tense. "I wasn't about to let them hand you over to Near or throw you in jail. You're my daughter, of course I'm going to protect you."

"More like protect your legacy," I sigh, moving my head towards the window. "All you've ever done is look out for your legacy as Kira, you don't care about me at all, just what I can do for you; or what I could do for you, before I was caught. Just kill me and get it over with, then you can start over with someone who might actually share your sense of justice and be a better heir than I was."

"What are you talking about?" asks Light, sounding hurt. "Why would I kill you? And why would I find someone else? You share my ideals, you—"

"We are not the same!" I nearly shout as I round to face him. "You wanted to become the god of some idealistic world, all I wanted to do was make it a little safer to go down a dark alley and to walk around a city without imminent fear." I feel tears burn in my eyes but I will myself not to cry, I will not break in front of him. I take a deep breath, for a split second it does not hurt to breathe, and I mange to calm myself down enough to not cry. "You took what I wanted to do and warped it to suit your own designs. I killed a few people, yes, I admit it but you killed thousands of people and terrified the world into submitting to your will. I couldn't and will not stoop so low, I don't want to rule anything, I just wanted a safe and normal life. We are nothing alike, Light Yagami."

We stare at each other, his eyes showing bewilderment and mine blazing with defiance, begging him to try to argue so I can throw everything he has done back in his face. I am sick and tired of being compared to him. I might be his daughter but I am not his clone, I have my own ideas and my own thoughts, I am my own person not some carbon copy that will do exactly as he commands. Kira's reign ends now. I will not kill another person for as long as I live.

"You're right," he says softly and I almost ask him to repeat himself. I notice that he no longer is holding himself as before, he seems almost defeated. For once I see the humanity he once possessed. "You're absolutely right, Noriko, we are nothing alike when it comes to justice. We are complete opposites in that regard. You believe that people whom have been given their second and third chance and not done anything but more harm are the ones who deserve to die while I believe that even first time offenders who show no remorse deserve death.

"You've spared murderers and arsonists, but killed smugglers and embezzlers, rapists and pedophiles. Our methods are different; I killed with heart attacks to gain notoriety while you killed with accidents and disease in hopes of remaining quiet. You've struggled with lying and lying comes naturally to me. You have a heart of gold, albeit a little dented, whereas I don't have one or I have very little of one." He puts a hand on top of my head, for a brief moment it feels warm to the touch and I almost lean into him. "I know I haven't been a father to you, and I'm not going to say that I will be from now on because I don't want to disappoint you, but all I'm asking is for the benefit of the doubt sometimes. Please don't always assume everything I'm saying is because I see you as an heir, sometimes it's simply because you're my daughter."

I look him straight in the eye, looking for any tiny tell that might tip off the fact he is lying or trying to manipulate me; over the last few months I have gotten pretty good at determining whether or not he is lying, and I almost cry when I see nothing to hint at it. He really is telling the truth, he means everything he has just said. I open my mouth to speak, to tell him how happy he has made me by saying he sees me as his daughter but just as I do, the door by the television swings open. We both look and see Lidner and Rei standing in the doorway.

"Good, you're awake," says Lidner a little briskly as she comes over, Rei following her like a puppy. She pointedly ignores Light, something that does not seem to bother him, and I conclude it is because Rei cannot see him and they are not going to let her know that she and her god are standing in the same room. Lidner comes to stand on my injured side and begins unfastening the snaps that run from the end of the sleeve down past the blanket I am under. "I need to check on your wound and change the dressings. What would you rate your pain?"

"Before or after I breathe?" I ask, trying to sound upbeat as I push myself up a little but I can tell by the crease in her brow that she is not buying it for a second, especially when I clutched my side, which made my arms and back hurt. Why does every part of my body have to hurt?

"Rei, Miss Yagami needs something in her stomach before I can give her any pills," says Lidner without even looking at Rei as she finishes unfastening the snaps on my hospital gown. Only the five snaps on my shoulder are keeping the gown up. She moves my arm out of the way and I wince sharply, Lidner levels me with a look of concern. "Please go see if we have anything that would be easy on her stomach, a hearty soup or something similar."

"Yes, Lidner," says Rei with a slight bow. She smiles at me timidly before hurrying out of the room.

"Don't move," says Lidner sternly and I can feel her touching the bandages and bindings, I feel cold metal against my skin and then hear the distinct sound of scissors cutting. The bandages fall away and she quickly removes them, but not before I see the spot of dark dried blood. I then glance at the nearby table and see a small tub of petroleum jelly, a roll of tan gauze bandages, and a stack of absorbent wound pads. She turns back to me and seems a little hesitant to proceed. "I'm going to have to remove the rest of your gown. Light, I'm going to need your help with dressing her wound."

"Of course," says Light calmly.

I am mortified at the idea of being so exposed to him; he is my father, and no father should see his grown daughter like that. I glance at Light and he seems perfectly fine with the idea and I am not sure if that is reassuring. I do not get to muse over it for long as my mind shifts focus to the feeling of Lidner spreading the jelly on my stitches. It does not hurt as I thought it would but it is not exactly pleasant either, there must be bruising around the injury. Luckily Lidner is quick with her hands and I feel the wound pad pressed on mere moments later, she moves her hand away and I feel the snaps on my other side begin to be unfastened. I almost tell Light to stop when I realize he is only unfastening the ones at the side, like Lidner had done originally. There is enough room now for Lidner to get the adhesive around my chest.

"Light, I need you to press the bandage in place for a minute," instructs Lidner and wordlessly Light passes through the hospital bed and my lower body to the other side of the bed. Lidner does not even bat an eye. Light quickly puts his hand on the bandage, his fingers spread out so they do not touch the injury beneath and Lidner quickly unravels the adhesive. She works just as quickly to wrap me and before long, Light is retracting his hand and I feel the snaps being redone on both sides.

"There, that should do it," says Lidner, obviously satisfied with her work. "I wonder what's keeping Rei?"

"Why is she here to begin with?" I ask as I lean back against several newly placed pillows. "I thought you were going to arrest everyone associated with the cult."

Lidner shrugs as she cleans up. "We were but after she arrived with Koji, she begged us not to arrest her, saying that she had not had anything to do with what was happening inside the compound. Koji confirmed her story, saying that she arrived the same day he did and had been with him ever since. Regardless, she's earned her keep by being your nurse and assisting in your surgery."

"She's a nurse?" I say, although it sounds more like a question, like I can hardly believe that someone part of that cult would be interested in saving lives.

"Yes, and a damn good one," replies Lidner just as the door opens.

We both look over and instead of seeing Rei entering with soup and medication, we see Aizawa and the other members of the Task Force along with Raku and Koji standing in the doorway. No one seems particularly pleased to see me. This is a rather somber reunion.

"Hi," I say sheepishly, unsure of my place.

Koji's smile lights up the room and he goes to move but Raku puts a hand on his shoulder and silently tells him to stay put. He does so reluctantly and I immediately tense, something must have happened.

"Lidner, you're excused," says Aizawa as he and the others file in to my room. "Rei is in the kitchen making tea if you care to join her."

It is not a friendly suggestion.

Lindner nods and heads for the door, Mogi steps aside to let her pass before closing it behind her, leaving the seven of us locked in here. For a while, no one does or says anything, we all just stare at one another until Aizawa pulls something out of his jacket and tosses it on my bed. It is the Death Note, only worse for wear. There is a huge hole through it and as I pick it up, it feels strangely heavier than usual, when I place it on my lap it falls open to reveal blood soaked pages. The blood obscures the writing on pages I know I have written on, there are only incredibly faint outlines of letters but without knowing they are there it would be almost impossible to tell.

"This was found on you when we brought you in," says Aizawa coldly. "Care to explain?"

I stare at the destroyed notebook, for all intents and purposes it is destroyed and cannot be used but is still in tact enough that I am able to retain my memories. I glance at Light who is not even looking at me and then I look back down at the notebook, I have to do something.

"Yes," I say finally, managing to pull my head up in order to address the room. "I've been Kira for the better part of a year." I can tell by their expressions that they had not expected me to actually admit to my crimes, but I am so very tired of lying. "Ryuk gave the notebook to me a few months before my entrance exams. I knowingly used the Death Note to kill repeat offenders such as rapists and pedophiles, until I came into L's custody and then I gave the notebook to my friend Parisa Saito with instructions to continue killing in my place." I briefly glance at the notebook then back up. "She then gave it to Kagami against my express instructions, probably in the hopes of gaining his favor, and I found it in his possession."

The room falls back into silence once I am finished speaking and I wait for the handcuffs, fully expecting to be arrested and hauled to prison within the hour. Only the handcuffs did not come. I look at Aizawa who merely seems relieved.

"Aren't I under arrest?" I ask bluntly, not wanting to mince words.

Aizawa shakes his head and my eyes widen. "No, we already were suspicious of you being Kira but we wanted you to confirm it yourself; if you had lied then we would have forced our hand and told you what we already knew, but you didn't lie. Why didn't you lie?"

"I'm done lying," I reply honestly and it feels incredible to finally be able to tell the truth. "Aizawa, what happened at the compound? I know I was stabbed and my aunt was murdered, but what else happened?"

Silence once again reigns supreme and I almost make some noise just to break it when Raku clears her throat, causing everyone in the room to look at her, Light included.

"Tou—Matsuda was killed in the line of duty," she says, her voice so small and broken she sounds like a small child. "He managed to stop Kagami before he could kill more than he had but . . . he was fatally shot by Kagami . . ." Her voice cracks sharply. "He went peacefully, according to Aizawa."

"No," I say, my voice deadpan and empty. No, this is not happening, I did not lose two important people in the same day to the same psychopath. "He can't be dead."

Raku nods slowly. "Yes, I'm afraid he is, Noriko."

No. No. No. No. No. NO! He cannot be dead; he could not have joined Sayu, my mother, my grandparents, and my past in death. Matsuda did nothing wrong, he did everything right, he even found room in his heart to love a little girl who was not even of his blood. Oh. I bow my head and close my eyes against the tears as I come to the painful realization that his death is my fault. Matsuda died for me, he died while giving me time to save Sayu and while trying to fix the mess I created. This is my fault.

I feel my head starting to spin and my breath comes in short pants, my eyes flutter under my eyelids and the noises around me become fuzzy. It takes what little strength I have remaining to open my eyes one last time, to catch a glimpse of the people who once considered me on their side. Darkness creeps in at the corners of my eyes, I watch it close in just as my eyes finally focus on Koji, and the last thing I see is him looking away from me down to the floor.


	24. Unraveled

When I come to, the room is dark and I am alone. It takes me a moment to recall what happened, and I realize that I fainted at the news that the only father I have ever known is now dead, dead because of me. The thought makes my head spin a little but I manage to hold on to my senses and I do not faint again; instead I focus as much of my attention on my surroundings as possible, hoping to distract myself enough to clear my head. I stare out of the window for a moment, taking in the dark night sky and the small silver stars shining brightly, and I see the moon glowing brilliantly above the trees. It is so beautiful and peaceful. I wish I could destroy it. Nature has no right to look so wonderful when the world is not; Matsuda is gone, Sayu is gone, the world should be mourning their loss not going on as if nothing has happened.

"This is all my fault," I say forlornly as tears slowly run down my cheeks. So many people, wonderful and hideous, are dead because of me. Blood is on my hands no matter what and I can never wash the stain away, even if I spend the rest of my life repenting my sins.

I tear my gaze away from the window, no longer able to stomach the peaceful scene outside, and it barely registers that I am no longer in as much pain as before. I look forward at the television, again trying to distract myself long enough that I can fall asleep again, hopefully for longer this time. I shift in bed, trying to get comfortable when I hear something hit a solid object beside me. I look to my left to see a handheld recorder and a simple grey remote. Tentatively I move my left hand, the pain is lessened enough to a more manageable level, so with slightly renewed strength I grip the recorder and slide it over to my lap. I then use my right hand to press play, deciding to give my left a break for the moment. There are a few moments of static before a voice breaks through and I nearly cry when I hear Matsuda's voice:

"_Noriko, if you're hearing this, then that means I'm not there to tell you this in person and for that I apologize. Obviously it was never my intention to not be with you, Koji, and your mother but I suppose some things can't be avoided._" He sounds almost on the brink of tears but he regains control. "_Anyway, there's so much you need to know and so little time to tell you, how cliché, right?_"

I smile as I turn up the volume on the recorder.

"_Near or L—God I hate calling him that—he's responsible for a great deal of the events in your life. The schools you went to, the people you befriended, the boys you've dated or who showed interest in you were all manipulated by Near. It was all part of his big plan to turn you into your father, to make you another Kira._"

"Looks like he succeeded," I say miserably.

"_Noriko, I need you to listen closely,_" Matsuda continues and I hang on to every word. "_If you ever do or did become Kira, I don't care. You aren't Light; you are so much more than he ever could be. I've watched you grow up and I know for a fact that you are not him, if you were to gain a Death Note I don't think you would use it to control the world. You would probably use it to get rid of criminals that still terrorize society or at least ones that make my job more difficult. That's the kind of sweet girl you are, Nori, you're the kind that would try to rid the world of some evil while still trusting in the justice system. I guess I raised you well._

"_Anyway, if you're still listening, I have something to give you. I've carried it with me for almost twenty years and I believe now is the time for you to see it. I've instructed your mom to put a DVD in the player in your room and give you the remote, she doesn't have to be there for the viewing and I don't expect her to be. And don't freak out about how I know about the player in your room, I just happen to know where you're going to be staying after we rescue you. I want you to play it; it's your mother Misa's final message to you. There are hundreds more, but this is her final one, made the same day as her suicide on the Valentine's Day after you were born. I was hoping that we would be able to watch it together but I guess that won't be happening any time soon._

"_Nori, I want you to know that I will always consider you as my daughter. I know this has been difficult, probably almost unbearable for you, but you've done so well to continue on despite everything that's happened. I need you to keep up that strong front until we can get you someplace where Near can never find you, and then I hope you can live the life you've always wanted and find someone who will love you the way you deserve to be loved. It's too bad I won't get to see my grandchildren; I've always thought I'd make a better grandpa than a dad. Now, I have to go, we're getting ready to infiltrate Sakura TV. I love you, Noriko Matsuda Yagami, and I'm going to see you very soon either way. Bye-bye._"

The recording ends and I numbly press the stop button. So Near is the one who ensured I went to the same schools as my father, he put certain people in my path in order to see how I would react to the situations they put me in like that incident with Sango and Haru, and he probably manipulated the system so I would get in to my father's university. I probably failed the entrance exams and he changed the results so I could be named Freshmen Representative. Everything about my life has always been a lie, even when I thought I was in control I really was not. From a philosophical standpoint, I do not exist, I am merely a puppet made to believe it was sentient.

With a resigned sigh I reach for the universal remote beside me and I press the power button, the television turns on and then I press the power for the DVD player. A blue screen appears and across the top is a highlighted grey bar with the date of my mother's suicide in the bar. I press the play button.

The screen changes from blue to a woman with blonde hair sitting in a rocking chair in what is so obviously a nursery. I recognize the room as my childhood bedroom. The woman is wearing a black dress with white lace trim, her hair is loose and she is wearing a great deal of makeup, but even an entire store's worth cannot cover the pain and sadness in her eyes.

"_Hi Noriko, it's Mommy again,_" says Misa, trying to sound cheerful. "_Well, it looks like today will be my last entry in this little diary of mine._" She giggles. "_I can't really call this little, can I? Not with three hundred and eighty-two entries._" She looks at the crib to her left. "_Right now you're playing outside with your parents, Touta and Raku Matsuda and I came inside because of a headache. I just had to make you one final video, before I . . . before I kill myself._

"_Noriko, I hope you don't hate me. I tried, honey, I really tried to stay healthy for your sake. Honestly, you're the reason I've made it this far to begin with. When . . . when I found out that your father had been murdered by Kira . . . I wanted to end my life then and there, even if I was pregnant with you at the time. I wanted all of us to be reunited as a family . . ._" She is so calm as she speaks that it is a little unnerving. "_After thinking about it, I decided that it would be so unfair to you if you didn't get the chance to live, and I knew your father would be so angry with me if I killed you, so I decided to live long enough to give you life. I approached Matsuda when I was a few months pregnant because I had a feeling I wouldn't make it after I gave birth to you, and he was happy to agree._"

Misa clenches her hands, bunching up some of the fabric of her dress. "_After I had you, I fell completely, hopelessly in love with you. You're my little girl, my last piece of your father and I didn't want to leave you . . . but I knew I couldn't raise you either . . . I was and still am very depressed about your father's death. I've lost everyone I ever loved to some kind of violence. My parents were killed by a burglar right in front of me and then I lost your father on what should have been a happy day . . . it was the day I found out I was expecting you._" She smiles sweetly at the camera and I find myself returning it. "_You have been the biggest, brightest spot in my entire life and I am so glad I got to know you these last six months. You're such a sweet baby! It's cute when I come visit, you call me 'Isa' and crawl over to me like you're in a race._" Her smile becomes brighter. "_Your father would've been so proud of you, Nori, you're so smart just like he was and you're the most beautiful baby that ever existed, prettier than even I was._" Her smile then falters and her brown eyes seem distant. "_I wish I could stay and watch you grow up, see what kind of person you become, but that isn't my destiny. I have cherished every single moment I have spent with you, Noriko and I hope that when you see this, you don't hate me for leaving you._

"_I've left a will behind stating that you are entitled to all of the money I have earned throughout my career as well as all of the DVDs I have made for you. I've also left instructions that anything Matsuda might need to purchase for you will be paid for from a trust fund I've set aside for the purpose, that way the majority of your inheritance is safe. You'll gain access when you're eighteen and in university, but only if you're in university, if you aren't you'll get access at twenty-five._" Misa looks down at something on her wrist, probably a wristwatch. "_Well, I should probably go, I've definitely overstayed my welcome this time._" She stands up and looks out of the window. "_You're in a baby swing, Matsuda is pushing you and Raku is sitting nearby, I can see you smiling even from here._" She then looks back at the camera. "_I'm sorry I couldn't be a better mother to you, Nori, I really am. You're going to do great things in life, I know that already, and it's because you're my daughter. I love you, Noriko, I truly do. Goodbye, my sweet girl._" She holds up a small remote and the camera turns off a moment later.

My mother cared about me after all. She might have ended her life because of my father but she lived after his death because of me. I did mean something to her. I immediately rewind the footage to the moment when my mother's smile becomes genuine and I pause it there, her smiling face frozen on the screen across from me. It is difficult for me to associate her with being the Second Kira, she seems far too happy and positive but Light too seemed very unlikely to be Kira from a personality and background perspective.

The numbness I had been feeling subsides and I become aware that my face is wet and tacky with drying tears, I reach up and do my best to wipe them away but more fall in their place. It seems that I cannot stop crying no matter what I do now, the water that could wash away my sins had they not stained my very soul.

I venture a glance out of the window again, the world looks just as it did when I looked out earlier and it saddens me that Misa, Matsuda, Sayu and so many others are missing out on such a beautiful sight. They would all be here right now if it had not been for the Death Note and Kira, if the Death Note had never come into this world then so many people would still be alive and the world would be moving in a better direction. If only there was someway I could change this, to reshape the world back to what it should have been before the Death Note. I scoff at the thought; it would take a miracle or a wish on a star or a wish from a genie or a heartfelt prayer to God or . . . wait, what about a _god of death_? Would it be possible? Maybe, after all they are responsible for the deaths caused by the notebook, so maybe they know of a way of reversing the deaths.

Ryuk would probably not know and even if he did, he would not likely share it with me due to some rule or out of personal choice because he wants to watch his entertainment. Light would probably know but again he would not share that information with me, as that would mean the permanent end of Kira and the world he began to create. No, I will have to ask a _shinigami_ that has no stake in this situation at all, perhaps even the _Shinigami_ King himself. I sit up a bit at the thought of going to the King and asking him if I can change the past so the world can return to what it used to be; if any creature in any world would know, it would definitely be him.

"I have to go there," I say as I begin to free myself from the confines of this hospital bed, when it comes to my IV, I reach for a nearby cotton pad and slowly remove the needle. Once out, I immediately press the pad against the small hole and hold it with one hand while my other reaches for the adhesive. I fold my arm to pin the pad and carefully use both hands to pull off enough to wrap around the wound thrice then I rip it away. I unfold my arm and wrap the adhesive around the wound, tucking the end under one of the layers. I then throw away the quilt and swing my legs to the edge of the bed, it takes me a few seconds to convince myself that it will not hurt to walk before I finally stand up and when I do, there is some pain but not nearly enough to knock me back down.

"Well, at least I can stand," I say quietly as I tentatively begin walking, again it does hurt a bit. I walk to the window and gaze out, I see several apple trees and I smile, my plan will work. Now all I have to do is find Ryuk and Light before the other members of the Task Force decide that they are going to move me to a new hiding spot. They are likely with the Task Force and it would not be a good idea for me to go out and speak to them, they might ask me why I needed to speak with the _shinigami_ and that I could not have answered honestly.

Instead I come up with a plan to leave through the window, and then I might be able to attract Light and Ryuk's attention without the Task Force knowing. I carefully unfasten the locks on the window, holding my breath for any squeak or loud noise that might alert someone to what I am doing. I am not sure how or why, but the window opens without a sound. A cool breeze blows through and I shudder, the thin material of my hospital gown does not serve as much of a barrier between the elements and me. Before I can go anywhere, I need to find a jacket or another pair of clothes. I turn back around and search the immediate room for anything I can use as a covering, I spot what appears to be a robe resting over the back of a chair. I quickly grab it and gingerly put it on, wincing when I have to lift my left arm but I manage to get it on and tie the sash snugly across my body. I spy a pair of slippers resting under the same chair and quickly slip them on as well, no sense venturing outside unprepared.

Once I am sure I can at least make it to the apple trees outside I head back to the window and look down, it is about six feet to the ground and I am nearly six foot tall so if I stretch myself—damn, I cannot do that or the stitches might pop and that would definitely not do me any favors. Looking back into the room, my eyes land on the quilt and pillows on the bed. Those will do. I go back to the bed as quickly as I can and gather up the materials and then head back to the window, I put them down and look back out. There is nothing but dirt beneath the window, so I will not injure myself on any foliage; still the ground is not something I really want to land on. I pick up the quilt and toss it in a way so it will land spread out, it does but not completely, I then toss the pillows down at each side. This will have to do.

Taking a deep breath I bring my leg up and straddle the windowsill, gripping it so hard my knuckles turn white. I know what I have to do but I do not want to do it, I know this is going to hurt no matter how many painkillers I am on. It takes me a few seconds to convince myself that I need to do this but I lean out of the window and let go of the windowsill, falling the six feet before I land somewhat awkwardly on the quilt and two of the four pillows. Unfortunately I land on my injured side.

* * *

I stare at the world map Aizawa has laid out, several locations are marked with red pins, and in each location are safe houses where we can send Noriko. In all honesty, Near will probably figure out where she is no matter what the Task Force does, but I have to give them credit for trying.

"So what do you think?" asks Aizawa, clearly exhausted.

I look at the ten possible hideouts, from what I remember from being L and having access to his database, the best bet would be to send Noriko to Switzerland. The country has been opposed to L and his methods since he began working globally, from what I have gathered now that is still the mindset of the people. If we were to send Noriko there, Near would be unable to extract her either by choice or by force without inciting an international incident; the country has a no extradition policy for anyone who is being targeted by L. Had I not been L at the time, I would have moved there myself.

"Switzerland," I say, pointing at the country. "The country's government is not aligned with L and offer safe haven to anyone who is being pursued by L; it's a little known policy but can be invoked with credible proof."

Aizawa sighs in relief. "Good, I would hate for her to be handed over to him almost immediately after he found her." He rubs his eyes and yawns. "Matsuda would probably approve as well."

"Yeah, you're probably right," I say quietly, it is still hard for me to believe that he is dead, he seemed like the one who would outlive us all. I then remember one person whose fate Aizawa failed to disclose to Noriko. "Hey Aizawa, what happened to Parisa Saito?"

He looks at me and a dark shadow falls across his eyes. "Kagami gunned her down when she was trying to escape, that was what prompted Matsuda to get out of cover."

"Why did you tell Nori when you were telling her about Matsuda?" I ask, a little upset that he neglected to tell her this important detail.

"She fainted before I could," says Aizawa defensively. "And then Lidner put that injection in her IV to ensure she stayed asleep. I do plan on telling her Light, I at least want her to be conscious first."

I sit back in my chair and cross my arms, given how Noriko reacted to Matsuda and Sayu's deaths, she will probably be just as upset to hear that Parisa was murdered as well. It would be in her best interest, at least for the time being, to keep Parisa's death quiet until Noriko demonstrates a more stable state of mind. "Let me be the one who tells her," I say and Aizawa looks at me strangely. "I'll find some way to break the news to her as gently as possible and make sure she does not have another fainting episode like earlier."

"Are you sure?" asks Aizawa, obviously skeptical of my intentions.

I nod. "Yes, I'm very sure. I know Noriko pretty well and I'll know when it'll be appropriate to inform her of Parisa's murder."

Aizawa studies me for a few moments before letting out a deep sigh. "Fine, I'll give you that. Just make sure you're sure that she can handle the news, I don't want to send her into a deep depression."

I smile a little. "Don't worry, Aizawa, I have no interest in harming my daughter's mental state."

* * *

"Damn," I mutter as I lay there, partially breathless and in a great deal of pain. I move to lie on my back and try to maintain my breathing so I can at least muster some strength to stand back up. I knew this might happen, I just did not expect it to take so much out of me.

Slowly I move to sit up, I wince almost the whole way up and when I am, I am shaking from the pain and the adrenaline rush from falling out of the window. I wish I had someone to help me up or to lean on. I try to stand up from my current position but I fall back down, this is obviously not going to work, so I roll onto my knees and slowly rise this way; it is still painful but it serves the purpose. When I stand up I begin walking, my eyes glued to the apple tree nearest me. I have to keep moving.

The short walk felt like hours rather than minutes and when I finally arrive, I nearly collapse against the tree. My legs feel like jelly and my left side hurts like crazy, I feel a little lightheaded and queasy. There is no way I can climb this stupid tree. "This was stupid," I say as I take a few deep breaths. "This was so stupid."

"I would agree," says Light testily, I look up and see him sitting in the apple tree. He jumps down and easily lands on his feet. "What the hell are you doing, Noriko? You're in recovery, you shouldn't be jumping out of windows and walking so much."

"Wait, you mean you saw me go out the window?" I ask, meeting his stern gaze. His expression reminds me of Matsuda's whenever Koji or I would get in trouble.

"Of course I did," says Light as he comes over to me, in a swift movement that I could not have stopped in my current state; he brings me into his arm bridal style. "I stepped out to talk with Aizawa about moving you to Switzerland and when I came back all I saw was your leg going through the window. What were you thinking?"

I sigh and lean against his shoulder, closing my eyes. This is surprisingly relaxing. "I need to get to the _Shinigami_ Realm."

I feel Light tense and his grip on me tightens. "Why would you need to do that?"

"I want an audience with the King," I reply wearily, I have to be honest with him or I will definitely not get what I want. "The notebook's ruined and I want to find out if he can repair it."

"A reasonable request," says Light, although without looking at him I cannot tell if he believes me or not. "Were you getting apples to attempt to bribe him?"

I shake my head. "No, I just wanted enough to get an audience. I'm sure I could convince him without a bribe to repair the notebook."

"Interesting," says Light and he gently puts me down on the ground, resting me against the tree trunk. "You wait here and I'll get the apples. The best ones are probably about halfway in anyway and in your condition you definitely couldn't climb it."

I nod. "Yes, I was just realizing that when you arrived."

"How many do you want?" asks Light as he looks up at the tree.

"Seven should do," I reply and he jumps into the air, his wings emerge and take him gracefully between the branches of the tree. I cannot see him in the darkness once the leaves hide him but I know he is still there.

"Heads up!" he says and a moment later an apple falls in my lap. It is fairly large and a beautiful deep blush color, just the kind of apple fit for a king.

I smile and put it in my pocket. "Keep them coming!"

Seconds later another apple falls and I pocket it with the other one. The pattern continues until I have seven apples divided between my two pockets. Light comes down after the last one drops, he seems rather pleased with himself.

"Nicely done, Nori," he says when his eyes fall on my bulging pockets. Then he holds up an apple. "I even got one for Ryuk. You wait here while I get him and the notebook."

"Is the entire Task Force awake?" I ask and he shakes his head.

"No, they're all asleep," he replies. "Aizawa was the last to go to bed and that was when I came back into your room. Ryuk was hanging out on the living room ceiling playing Koji's handheld last I saw."

I sigh and shake my head. "I guess I could have gone out the front door instead of the window."

Light nods. "I'll be right back with Ryuk, don't do anything stupid."

"Don't you mean again?" I ask wryly and he smiles before taking off into the sky. I watch him fly away, his wings highlighted by moonlight and I am once again reminded of what lurks just beneath his human appearance. According to Light, all _shinigami_ were once human except for the King who came into being when the universe did, and were all able to retain their human appearance until they had killed enough to no longer be considered human by any standard. It is somewhat comforting that Light is not completely beyond being human, yet.

Movement breaks me from my thoughts and I look to see Light and Ryuk flying towards me, Ryuk has the apple between his teeth and looks like a suckling pig. I have to fight against smiling; it would probably be a bad idea to tease him when I am about to ask for another favor. They land in front of me, I try to get up but Light is faster than I am and quickly scoops me up again as if I am just a child. Ryuk opens his mouth just slightly and the apple falls into it.

"What's going on, Nori? Light says you want to go back to the _Shinigami_ Realm," says Ryuk as he chews on his treat.

"That's right," I say, making sure the apples in my pockets are still there. "Did you get the notebook?"

Ryuk nods and holds up the tattered and ruined book. "I'm not sure if the Old Man will be able to fix it or care to, to be perfectly honest. He might just be amused that you wanted to ask."

"It's worth a try," I say with a slight shrug. Then I close my eyes and feel my _Shinigami_ Eyes slide into place, when I open them the world is tinged with red, which is made eerier by the red moonlight. "I'm ready."

Without a second's hesitation Light leaps into the air and his wings sprout from his back almost instantly and he begins flying straight up into the air; once we are just above the tree line his wings begin beating a little harder as we climb higher and higher into the sky. I look over and see Ryuk trailing behind just a little, likely lamenting the fact he was not allowed more than the one apple before we left the human world. I feel a little bad that he only had one apple, as he definitely deserved more.

I feel a change around me and know that we are breaking the barrier between the two worlds, the world of the living and the world of the _shinigami_. I close my eyes as I bid my world farewell.

* * *

"We're here," says Light and I open my eyes to find the world of grey from my dreams and the world he resided in since his death. "Do you want to try to walk or let me carry you?"

"You can carry me," I say softly. "I want to save my strength for when I meet the King."

"Alright then," says Light gently and he once again jumps into the air, flying in the direction of a tall mountain in the distance. Ryuk once again trails behind us, as if afraid of where we are going.

"Hey, what's going on here?" I hear a _shinigami_ ask loudly beneath us, but I cannot see it.

"That human's back!" shouts another and I catch a glimpse of it as we fly past.

"Light," says Ryuk warily, "they're going to follow us."

"Let them," says Light simply, tightening his grip on me just a little. "They're obviously bored if they find this interesting."

I chance a glance and see that Ryuk is right, several _shinigami_ have taken flight and are following behind Ryuk at a distance. Some of them I recognize from my trip almost a year ago and others I do not, in fact there seem to be more present now than there were the first time. I look up at Light and notice that his focus is completely on the mountain in front of us, as if he is trying to ignore the other _shinigami_ entirely. I feel as if I should say something, maybe put him at ease, but every time I attempt to speak the words die on my tongue so I settle for simply lying against his shoulder.

It does not take as long as I had expected to get to the top of the mountain; in fact I almost wish it had taken days rather than minutes. I should have expected this, as time for the _shinigami_ is not the same for us humans. When Light lands on the top, he begins walking but I struggle against his hold so he puts me down, I take a few steps and nearly fall but Light is at my side and puts an arm around me to hold me up. I want to ask him why now he has decided to act like my father but I refrain, afraid to break whatever spell he is under.

"Together," he whispers and I nod, leaning on him slightly as we begin walking towards the center of the mountaintop.

"Why are they going there?" I hear a _shinigami_ ask behind us.

"Is it allowed for a human to speak with the Old Man?" asks another.

"Our original deal has not been fulfilled so it still stands, so this is allowed," says Ryuk, attempting to sound calm but he seems shaken up just being here. "Noriko knows what she's doing . . . hopefully."

I look to Light, noticing the tension around his eyes and I know he is nervous about this as well, after all he said he had broken a few rules in order to give me the notebook in the first place. I really want to tell him my true plan but I keep silent, we still have not reached the point of no return so he could still turn us around and fly back to the human world. We continue to walk in relative silence.

"I smell a human," says a voice when we near the dark center. "Who dares to bring a human in my presence?"

"I do," answers Light sternly.

There is movement in the darkness in response to Light's declaration, something or someone is crawling around on chains just beyond our sight. Suddenly something emerges into the pale light provided by the realm's dying sun and I immediately wish it would crawl back into the shadows. The King has two skulls for a head, one seems to be his proper face and the outer skull encasing the first seems to serve as his crown. There are four arms visible to us that seem to have pulled the creature from its hiding place, evidenced by the way the claws on each have dug into the ground beneath it. I look just beyond the head and see that it is sitting against an orb like body that is mostly hidden by the shadows, even still I can see several chains crossing this small visible portion of his body, which would explain the sound heard earlier.

"I shouldn't be surprised," says the King, his head turned to Light but he does not have any eyes or lights to represent eyes like Light does. He then looks at me. "What is it you want, human?"

I carefully disentangle myself from Light's side and take a few steps towards the King. "I would like an audience with you." I then reach into my pocket and extract one of the apples. "I have apples from the human world for you as well."

"How many?" he asks, sounding intrigued.

"Seven," I reply.

The King snorts. "That amount hardly constitutes a bribe, lowly human."

"I'm not here to bribe you," I say calmly as I put the apple back in my pocket. "I simply wish to speak to you about a topic I am sure will interest you."

"And what topic would that be?" asks the King, obviously amused.

"Changing the human world," I say and I can tell by the way the King moves that he is definitely interested.

"Bring the apples forward," says the King and then he looks just beyond me. "Restrain Light and Ryuk, I don't want them to interfere with this interesting discussion."

I hear movement and turn to see four _shinigami_ rushing for Light and Ryuk, the latter offers his captors no resistance but one that goes for Light is immediately punched while the other tries to grab him from behind only to be stomped on. The scuffle lasts a few seconds longer until another two _shinigami_ rush forward and grab Light while the original _shinigami_ assist in pinning him to the ground. I feel sorry for him but he should have just cooperated, then again it might be a good thing to have him so forcefully restrained.

"Step forward, human, and put the apples down," instructs the King and I obey, taking a few more careful steps towards him.

When I am closer, I kneel down and reach into my pockets and pull out the apples one at a time so he knows I am not lying about how many apples I have and to show that I am not going to rip him off. I can feel his gaze on me the entire time and when I am finished, one of his claws quickly jumps out of the ground and scoops up all seven apples, bringing them to the skull.

"Speak," says the King before he pulls one of the apples into his mouth.

I force myself to stand back up despite the fact my legs are shaking, this time my nerves are getting the better of me. I look right at the skull, watching him eat for a moment before speaking, "My world has been afflicted by yours, the Death Notes brought to it have done nothing except cause devastation and destruction."

"So? Humans are naturally destructive," counters the King in between bites. "What do you want me to do about it?"

This is it. "I want you to rewrite the past and present," I reply and he stops mid-bite.

"Noriko!" shouts Light and I force myself not to turn around. "Noriko, what are you doing? I thought you wanted to restore the notebook, not something like this!"

"What do you mean?" asks the King curiously.

I take a deep breath. "I want you to resurrect all those deaths caused by humans that have been under the influence of a Death Note. I don't care about the deaths caused by notebooks possessed by _shinigami_ but the ones used by humans have caused nothing but trouble for the human world."

The King hums as he bites into another apple. The only sound for a while is that of him chewing the crunchy fruit but that gives me hope that he is considering what I said. "How interesting," he says at last. "Coincidentally, I just had a discussion very similar to this one with a rather determined _tanjokami_. He said it would require something . . . what was that delicious term he used?" He then looks behind him. "What did you say would be necessary to change the human world?"

"A willing human sacrifice," says a voice from the shadows and moments later the owner emerges.

The _tanjokami_ has ink black hair that is unruly by nearly every imaginable standard and has dark grey eyes to match, his eyes are wide and seem to take in everything around him, his skin is as white as the shirt he is wearing and I notice he is barefoot. I feel as if I have seen this man before but I cannot place exactly where. Light on the other hand seems to recognize him almost immediately.

"L!" shouts Light in both relief and disbelief. "What the hell are you doing here?"

L looks at Light, putting his thumb against his lower lip and then he looks at me, his gaze is calculating and surprisingly kind. "I'm doing the same as Noriko, trying to change the world you've created."

"How do you know my name?" I ask, overcoming the shock of seeing yet another dead player in Light's game.

"Because I wrote it in my book," replies L simply, he gestures at the book dangling from his waist on a silver chain, it looks like the Death Note only it is white and does not have any writing across the top. "I'm not sure if you know this but _tanjokami_ are the ones who determine a person's lifespan when they are conceived. I was the one who created your lifespan, Noriko."

My eyes widen. "May I see?"

L nods and comes over to me, probably having seen how I struggled to walk earlier. He retrieves his notebook and opens it to the very first page and at the top I see my name written in a slightly sloppy hand: Noriko Yagami, born 14 August 2013. My lifespan is written above my name: 964581. This certainly explains the numbers that float above everyone's head.

"You know, we're taught in school that _tanjokami_ are responsible for the fate of the world," I say as I gaze at my name, written with the characters for "law" and "child" followed by those of "night" and "god", something so familiar in this world that now feels wrong.

"That's a poor interpretation," says L as he takes the notebook back. "We're not responsible for anything in the human world except for how long a person will live."

I look up at him. "Why are you trying to change the world?"

"Because what happened has disrupted the karmic balance," replies L, glancing at Light, who is struggling against his captors. "There have been an unprecedented number of deaths since Light obtained the Death Note, causing the ratio of births to deaths to become heavily one-sided, something that is never supposed to happen. We have tried to right the imbalance by increasing the number of conceived children who receives a lifespan and making them longer but that has not had the desired effect. So I decided to come and speak with the King about righting this egregious wrong."

"It wasn't wrong!" shouts Light and we both turn to look at him, his eyes are normal but his human jaw has been replaced by his skeletal _shinigami_ one. "Those deaths were necessary to bring about a new world free of evil! You were the one who was wrong, bringing innocent children into the world when it was still full of rotten people. And why were you allowed to escape Mu? You're the worst criminal of them all!"

"How nice to see you again, Kira," says L politely, ignoring his insults and ramblings. "Could you please allow Light to come back? He needs to know how we will revert the world back to how it was."

Kira grins menacingly. "Light isn't interested, he's much happier allowing me to gain control of this situation." He looks at me. "Noriko, there's nothing wrong with the world, no matter what you might think. Things have gone surprisingly well since my supposed death and they're continuing with you. You'll become the goddess of the new world and all will love you."

I shake my head. "No, I don't want to be a goddess, I didn't want any recognition actually. I wanted to take care of a few criminals every now and then but I made the mistake of listening to you." I look at L. "Why are you still here? The King obviously didn't listen to you."

"I had a feeling something would change," he answers cryptically. "And the King seemed to enjoy my company so I saw nothing wrong in hanging around here for a while."

"He has many exciting stories," says the King, drawing our attention back to him. "He's also informed me of many things I didn't know about his kind and the rules governing us both. That's how he came up with his plan to change the world." The King smiles down at L but it seems more frightening than friendly. "Tell her about it, my friend."

L nods. "I have been researching this topic since I became a _tanjokami_, actually many of my kind have but I was the only truly diligent researcher. I learned many things about the balance of things, how life and death are supposed to be equal and the acceptable levels of one-sidedness on either side of the scales. There are times, like during a war, when death exceeds life; then there is the time after war when life increases and balances out the scales again. The pattern repeats itself pretty regularly and is typically able to right itself without much interference on either side. However," he again looks at Kira, "that is obviously not the case in this situation. Kira's kill count far exceeds the acceptable level of deaths and the number of current births has not been able to right the imbalance. Likely because Kira never stopped killing even after he became a _shinigami_."

"That would explain all of the heart attacks in prisons around the world even though no one possessed a notebook at the time," I say, a little skeptically because I may be completely wrong in my assertion.

"Exactly," says L, seemingly pleased but it is difficult to tell based on his monotone voice. "This has sent many _tanjokami_ into panic, so we began looking into old knowledge to see if something similar happened before. We found an incident, the Black Plague to be precise, where the deaths exceeded the births. The solution back then had been for a willing human to sacrifice their life."

"How?" I ask as a chill runs down my spine.

"How did the _tanjokami_ know to choose a sacrifice?" asks L and I nod. "Well, they listened to the humans praying and found one who repeatedly offered himself in place of everyone who was dying. He said it so frequently that it was determined he truly meant what he said, so a _tanjokami_ and _shinigami_ visited him. The _tanjokami_ explained the situation to him and the _shinigami_ offered him a painless death in exchange for the rest of the world. The man accepted and wrote his name in the _shinigami's_ notebook. His noble sacrifice and unused lifespan was enough for the gods of life and death to change the world so people ceased to die and many were spared of the illness."

I swallow thickly. "So you would use a human's remaining lifespan to give the gods power to erase whatever the cause of the imbalance is, correct?"

"Yes, that's exactly right," says L, sounding a little excited. "It has to be a willing death, one decided upon by the person because a life taken any other way would go to a _shinigami_ regardless. A life sacrificed for others is a powerful thing and unworthy of being possessed by a _shinigami_."

A strange laugh penetrates the air and we both turn to see Light or rather Kira laughing almost maniacally. He seems to have found L's plan amusing.

"Is there something you wish to add, Kira?" asks L stoically.

"Why yes there is, L," says Kira, looking up at us, his eyes still human but now with red irises. "Your plan is pathetic, there isn't a single human being who would willingly sacrifice their own life for the lives of criminals, they would rather see the world continue as it is than let criminals overrun the population. That may have worked centuries ago but this is different, the modern age is a selfish one, full of vain and arrogant people who wouldn't stoop to sacrificing themselves for any purpose that would go unrecognized." His eyes move to me. "Look at what the world did to Parisa! She's dead because of human selfishness!"

Tears spring up in my eyes when I hear him mention her name. Parisa . . . I should have known she would be dead, after all she was in the room when the shooting took place but still . . .

L is staring at Kira as if studying a familiar organism that has sprouted something new. I too find myself looking at Kira curiously, now that my grief has abated for the moment, and I am sure I have seen glimpses of him hidden behind Light's eyes but this is the first time I have seen him as he truly is and it is hideous to behold.

L then begins chuckling. "There is so much you don't understand, Kira. Yes, it's true that many people are selfish and wouldn't want their sacrifice to go unnoticed but there are people who would happily die for the betterment of all." His dark eyes turn to me. "In fact, there's one standing in front of me right now."

Kira's eyes widen and for a moment they flash Light's amber color. "What are you talking about? Noriko wouldn't give her life for something like that."

"How are you so sure?" asks L, still looking at me. "Her purpose here is the same as mine, obviously contrary to what she led you to believe; quite frankly, I'm disappointed that you so quickly believed her story, it would seem you're slipping."

"Noriko, tell him he's wrong!" shouts Kira, although I can see Light breaking through. "Tell him that you're really here to repair the notebook so you can continue on as Kira."

"If that were so, then why didn't I ask for the notebook when I offered the apples to the King?" I ask coolly and his eyes narrow at me in a nasty glare. "No, L's right. I did come here hoping to repair what you've done and I'm willing to give my life if that's what it takes."

"But why?" demands Kira angrily. "The world was rotten before I used the Death Note, you want everything to go back to that? You want criminals to make life difficult for people like Matsuda and every innocent civilian just trying to live their lives?"

Invoking Matsuda is a dirty move but I let it roll off my shoulders, he is trying to get under my skin and make me change my mind. I will not be swayed so easily. "You're right, the world was a rotten place before you had the Death Note, but it's still rotten. There are many people the world has been better without and likely deserved their punishment . . ." I swallow hard, trying to strengthen my resolve, " . . . but we were wrong to take their lives under the guise of justice, we had no right to take a human life anymore than a murderer." I look him square in the eye. "I would give my life to see them regain theirs if it meant that the people I love and the people they love would come back as well."

Kira's eyes change to Light's and his jaw gains a fleshy hue. "Noriko," says Light, his tone pleading and slightly terrified. "You can't do this! I won't allow it! There has to be some other way."

I smile weakly at him. "I'm sorry, Dad but I don't believe there is another way."

Light's eyes fill with tears. "No! I forbid you to do this, Nori. We'll find a different way, I promise."

I look to L who is staring at Light with a strange mix of curiosity and pity. When he notices me looking at him, he looks at me the same way.

"There's no other way, is there, L?" I ask softly and as I expected he shakes his head. "Alright, I'll do it."

"No!" shouts Light and his struggle against his captors renews.

"There will be consequences for your actions," says L calmly, ignoring Light's outburst. "For one, there is no guarantee that you will exist in this new world, after all the only reason your parents met was because they were both using a Death Note . . . not to mention your mother's unique circumstances."

I nod solemnly. "I already figured that might be one possible outcome, considering Light has already told me that he wouldn't have been with my mother of his own choosing."

"Secondly, Ryuk will have to be disciplined," says L as he looks at the surprisingly quiet _shinigami_. "He is directly responsible for the current trend of staggering deaths and that cannot go unpunished."

"What?!" says Ryuk, looking completely dumbfounded at this turn of events.

My eyes widen. "What will you do to him?"

"That will be my decision," replies the King. "It is likely that for his part in this, he will be forbidden to take any more human lives to extend his own. He will die."

I turn to Ryuk, tears in my eyes. I had hoped that he would come out of this unscathed but it would seem none of us are emerging from this in one piece. "I'm so sorry, Ryuk," I say, my voice thick with emotion.

Ryuk hangs his head and sighs. "Don't worry about it, I'll be fine." He looks back up at me and I see something reminiscent of sorrow in his big yellow eyes. "I'm sorry this happened, Nori. I'll always remember you."

"It's fine," I say with a watery smile, that is the closest he has ever come to admitting that I am his friend and I will treasure this moment. "I'm glad at least someone will remember me." I look back at the King. "He will remember me, right?"

The King nods. "Yes. Just like last time, the _shinigami_ and _tanjokami_ will not be affected by this change to the human world. You will be remembered by us, Noriko Yagami."

I nod and then look back at L. "Are there any other consequences for what I'm about to do?"

"Well, it's no so much a consequence as a clarification," says L as he rubs one bare foot against the other. "Your sacrifice will only mend what has been done by Kira and anyone else who possessed a notebook during his time. The imbalance started when he decided to begin killing criminals, so that is all that will be affected in order to restore equilibrium."

"I understand," I say, my voice quivering just a little. "What will happen to the world?"

"It will resume from the period before the Death Note came into Light's possession, and all events caused as a result of the notebook's influence will not happen," replies L. "All the people killed or affected by it will be brought back and be themselves again, no one will have any knowledge of an alternate reality." His eyes rest heavily on me, I read between the lines and understand that it means I will not be remembered by any human. "Are you ready?"

"Yes," I say without hesitation.

"NO!" cries Light and I look back to see that he freed his shoulders and nearly had an arm free as well, his captors were moving quickly to keep him secure. His eyes flash between red and amber. "Don't you understand what you're doing?! Don't you realize what will happen? Everything will change, none of this will exist."

I look over at him and smile sadly. "I know exactly what I'm doing, Dad, I'm giving you and Mom and Aunt Sayu and Grandpa and Matsuda and Parisa and everyone else the chance to lead a full life . . . even if I don't get to be a part of it."

"Noriko, please don't do this!" Light pleads desperately and for once I cannot tell if this is he or Kira speaking.

With one last smile, I turn away from him and face the _Shinigami_ King. "Whose notebook will I write my name in?"

"Ryuk's," he says readily and he motions behind me. "He made a deal with you, did he not? Well it's time for it to be fulfilled."

A _shinigami_ approaches with Ryuk's Death Note in hand and tosses it at my feet before going back to the crowd that had gathered just a few feet away. I bend down and pick it up; I quickly flip through it and find the page that has my father's name. "I need a pen," I say quietly and one appears in my line of view. I look over and see L holding it; I accept the pen and begin to write my name.

I carefully write the lines for each character, taking my time with each stroke, savoring the familiarity of the act.

"Noriko stop!" cries Light. "Don't do this!"

I ignore him and continue to write, this is surprisingly much easier than I thought it would be, perhaps it is because I am saving so many lives? I finish the final line.

_Forty_

"It's done," I say as I fall to my knees, my legs now too weak to hold me up.

_Thirty-nine_

L takes the notebook and pen from me. "Well done, Noriko."

_Thirty-eight_

"Noriko!" shouts Light as he finally breaks free of his captors, he breaks into a sprint but they pursue him, at least until L speaks again,

"He can't change it now, just leave him alone."

_Thirty-seven_

Light comes to a stop in front of me and pulls me on to his lap, holding me tightly and I can feel his body shaking.

_Thirty-six_

"This seems familiar," I say softly as I rest my head on his shoulder.

"Don't remind me," says Light bitterly. "Why did you do this?"

_Thirty-five_

"I already told you, I want you to live," I say with a genuine smile. "And I want everyone else I care about to live as well."

_Thirty-four_

I look up and see tears in Light's eyes.

"How am I supposed to live without having you as my daughter?" he asks as he rests his forehead against the top of my head.

_Thirty-three_

"You'll have other children," I say with a slight shrug but it hurts me to admit it out loud.

Something wet falls on to my head. "Why can't I just have you?"

_Thirty-two_

"Daddy, please stop crying," I chide tenderly. "You won't even remember me, so you won't know what you're missing."

_Thirty-one_

"That's not exactly comforting," says Light as he holds me tighter.

_Thirty_

I smile as I wrap my arms around him. "You haven't said anything about me calling you 'dad', did it just slip your mind?"

_Twenty-nine_

Light shakes his head. "Of course not, I just thought if I did, you'd stop saying it. You've never said it until now."

_Twenty-eight_

"I know," I say, holding him tighter. "You haven't acted like my dad until now."

_Twenty-seven_

"Yes, I never thought you were one for fatherhood, Light," says L and I see him kneel in front of us, a sad expression on his pale face.

_Twenty-six_

Light looks over at his former enemy and I do not see any malice in his face. "I should've known you wouldn't stay dead, and I'm glad."

_Twenty-five_

L's dark eyes widen in surprise but he is quick to recover. "Well, it's good to know you aren't completely dead either, Light. The afterlife would've been boring without you."

_Twenty-four_

"I think this is the first civil conversation we've had since before you died," says Light and he sounds almost pleased that he is once again talking with L.

_Twenty-three_

"Yes, that's very true," says L and he looks down at me in Light's arms. "Your daughter bears a striking resemblance to you, Light, in body and mind."

_Twenty-two_

Light lets out a hollow chuckle. "Maybe at first glance, but she's much smarter than I am and she has a better heart than I did."

_Twenty-one_

L hums as he inches closer. "Yes, I can tell. She got her heart from Misa and your father, a very strange combination."

_Twenty_

"What do you think will become of us?" Light asks, clearly trying to think about something other than my impending death.

_Nineteen_

"I believe we will meet again," says L before he reaches out and takes my hand.

_Eighteen_

"I always wanted to meet you," I say as I turn to look at him. "I thought maybe we could've been friends in another life."

_Seventeen_

L smiles at me. "Perhaps we'll find that out, Noriko."

_Sixteen_

"Do you think?" I ask with a wry smile as I squeeze his hand.

_Fifteen_

"Anything is possible," replies L, squeezing my hand back.

_Fourteen_

I turn away from him and look up at Light. "Daddy, I'm afraid."

_Thirteen_

Light looks down at me, panic stricken. "Dying doesn't hurt, Nori, it is actually rather peaceful."

_Twelve_

"I can attest to that," agrees L and Light gives him a relieved smile.

_Eleven_

"I'm not afraid of death," I say quietly. "I'm afraid of being alone."

_Ten_

"What do you mean?" asks Light, panic rising in his voice but he is doing his best to keep calm.

_Nine_

"Everyone I know won't be waiting for me when I die," I say and it sounds strange to talk so candidly about my death. "Sayu, Matsuda, my grandparents, Mom, they'll all be alive with you and L."

_Eight_

Tears begin to run down Light's cheeks and I can feel some spilling out of my eyes as well.

_Seven_

"Please forgive me, Nori," he says, his voice cracking on the words. "I wish I could stay with you."

_Six_

"Don't worry," I say, squeezing him with the arm still wrapped around his torso. "I'm sure I'll have fun watching you and everyone, it'll be nice."

_Five_

Light loses his composure and begins sobbing. His body shakes with their intensity and I extract my hand from L's in order to wrap it around Light's neck and hold him closer.

_Four_

"Please don't leave me," he begs and my tears begin anew upon hearing those same words I heard when I laid dying in his arms because of that stab wound. Sadly, I know that I will die this time. I feel a twinge of regret for not saying goodbye to Koji or Raku or any of the Task Force members, but it is probably for the best.

_Three_

"I love you, Dad," I say, smiling at him despite my tears. I probably look strange to him.

_Two_

"I love you, too, Noriko," says Light, his voice clouded with tears. His grip tightens on me and I wish for just one more second to enjoy this moment, my last moment in my father's arms.

_One_


	25. Rebirth

**A/N: And so, after almost 2.5 years, I have finished Noriko's story; but fear not, LDA is not entirely complete, as it is undergoing some rewrites that I hope will enhance the story you have come to know and love. Keep coming back every so often to check if anything is new. Finally, I am thinking of possibly writing a story based on the new world that Noriko has created with her actions in the last chapter, let me know in the reviews if that is something you would be interested in reading.**

**Without further adieu, I now give you the final chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

So Noriko died. Her sacrifice gave life to a new world that would never know about the Death Note or what she did. The King kept his word and her memory lives on with me, I remember her clearly, every detail I ever cared to document is still safely locked away in my mind. Sadly, this will not be forever. _Shinigami_ are not supposed to fall in love with humans, it is a death sentence, yet after knowing Noriko and witnessing what she did to free the world from destruction I think I might have loved her . . . just a little.

Finally I can feel myself nearing the end of my existence, my punishment for having destroyed the karmic order of the universe, and I want to see how the human world has changed in my absence. I had decided to stay away from the human world for a time, I could not bear to witness a world that would never know the warmth of the kind girl's heart. Rem, whom had been revived with Noriko's sacrifice, has agreed to accompany me on my final journey. I am sure she is doing this to find out Misa's fate but I am glad for the company. So that brings me to now, the two of us flying through the cloudy, familiar skies of Japan, searching for the people we knew to see if their lives improved or worsened with their new world. I look down and see the same skyline, there are some minor changes of course, nothing drastic, only someone whom had seen another version would even know the difference. There is one person in particular I want to see again before I go, and in order to find him, all I have to do is go to the nearest crime scene.

"Do you think we'll find him here?" asks Rem as we perch ourselves on two nearby light posts.

"Of course," I reply as I look at the people below us. "He couldn't have changed that much." I carefully search for his name and lifespan and soon enough, I find him standing near the barrier of police tape.

Light Yagami sticks out from the crowd even after all this time, from my viewpoint just above him I can tell that his hair is greying and he has a few wrinkles on his face but he still looks the same to me, the same bright kid to whom I gave a Death Note. He gives orders easily to his men, rather those I presume are under him, and I watch with rapt attention as he quickly gains control of the scene. Command comes naturally to him and being in charge certainly suits his personality, something that has been noted by everyone who knew him. Light then calls up two men and gives them enough instructions that they have to write them down before he heads out of the crime scene for a nearby car. I watch him closely as he gets in and begins driving in the general direction of NPA headquarters. I motion to Rem who nods and we depart our perches, flying above the car Light is driving but close enough that we can still see it. The drive is not long but the weather is cold so I can understand why he would rather not walk in the snow. When we arrive he gets out, a gold watch gleams on his left wrist from under his coat sleeve, and we follow him inside.

The building itself is relatively unchanged from before, the only minor change, or in this case major change, is Light's picture is hanging up in a hallway with all of the other police officers and detectives. Below his picture is a plaque that reads: Light Yagami, Chief of the National Police Agency. So Light has taken over his father's role.

"Chief Yagami, good to see you, sir," says a man as we pass him by in the hallway.

"And you, Detective," replies Light, his voice cheery and genuine, a stark contrast from the days when he had the Death Note. "Don't forget to have your report in by the end of the day."

"I won't!" calls the man as he rounds a corner.

Light chuckles to himself as he walks past a number of desks and cubicles, he gives a few greetings to those who speak to him and a couple of times stops to ask a few questions of specific people. When he arrives at an office, his cellphone starts ringing and he answers it quickly.

"Chief Yagami," says Light as he enters the office, one that is clearly his. "Hey, Sayu! Thank you for the birthday card, I was surprised you remembered." He smiles as he takes off his jacket and sits down. "Well, don't you have that show in Milan to coordinate? I would have thought that would take precedent over wishing your older brother a happy birthday." He laughs at something Sayu says. "Okay, okay, I guess you haven't forgotten a single birthday since we were kids but it's never too late to start." I can hear very rapid chatter on the other end of the phone. "Yes, I'll pass that along to Mom. You know you should come home this summer; she really misses you, especially those grandkids of hers. How are they by the way?"

"Well, Sayu, guess you've been busy," I say, shaking my head.

"No, no, I understand," says Light shaking his head in amusement. "I had the same problem with my daughter, they always go for the most gaudy makeup they can find; I think it's to give us heart attacks, personally." He smiles as he spins a pen in his hand. "Just toss it out and tell her that if she wants to buy more she has to earn the money herself, that worked for me. How are the boys doing?" Light nods silently as Sayu likely relays the news about her sons to him. "I see, well it sounds like Taro needs to get his head on straight, Sayu. You can't expect him to get into a good school if he keeps skipping class and going to parties." More chattering. "Look, you and Kenta have to be more firm with him besides just threatening to take a way a few meaningless privileges." Light shakes his head in slight annoyance. "Fine, look I have to go now, talk to Dad if you're really concerned. I love you, too, bye-bye." He hangs up the phone and runs his fingers through his hair; obviously talking to his sister is rather stress inducing.

"Just once I wish she would talk to Mom or Dad about this stuff," he sighs as he puts his phone away and goes to work.

We sit in the corner of the room and watch him, amazed at how different this Light is compared to the one before. He has the same easygoing confidence, but is definitely not as arrogant, he is still charming and kind but does not seem interested in manipulation too much, and he seems far more approachable than before. I gather this from the way his detectives easily walk into his office without any fear, talking with him as if he is their best friend rather than their boss and he seems to be enjoying himself. If I had not witnessed it first hand, I would never have believed that this man sitting in front of me was capable of murder and deceit, as it did not seem to be in this man's nature.

"He seems different," observes Rem and I nod my agreement. "I prefer this version of Light Yagami to the one I knew before. This one might treat Misa well."

"You actually think he married her?" I ask with a short laugh. "He's probably married to that Takada woman, she was much more like him than Misa was."

Rem rolls her yellow eye. "I thought you didn't care."

"I guess I do," I say quietly.

* * *

The workday ends and Light is quick to gather up his things, muttering to himself about what he needs at home and what he can leave at his office. When he is done, he heads downstairs to a parking garage, getting into a black car and driving off. We follow the vehicle, and I wonder what I will see when Light arrives at his destination; he probably has a wife and kids of his own if his phone call was any indication, waiting to celebrate his birthday with him. Even if his kids are geniuses like him, and excel at every sport created, they will be nothing compared to Noriko and the worst part is he will never know that. I sigh slightly as the car weaves in and out of traffic, so much has changed yet so little of it matters to these humans, and it is infuriating to watch.

Light arrives at a rather nice looking house, much bigger than the one he grew up in anyhow, and I spy an apple tree growing in the backyard something that brings a strange pang to my chest. Light parks his car in the garage and I hurry to get inside, as he steps out he stretches his arms high above his head before heading into the house, looking as if he is ready to turn in the moment he enters. Following him I am surprised to see the house so dark, if he has a family then they should be waiting for him, especially on his birthday right?

"Surprise!" comes a loud shout from what sounds like several voices. The lights go on and there is a huge crowd in his living room. "Happy birthday, Light!"

"Wow!" exclaims Light, looking touched and honestly shocked at the gesture. "This is fantastic you guys, I really wasn't expecting any of this."

Someone comes forward and I smile a little when I see it is Misa, she looks older and more mature; I have to say, she almost looks prettier at this age than when I first met her. There is an equally handsome man standing just behind her and I notice they are wearing matching rings on their left hands.

"You should've known we wouldn't forget you on your birthday," she says before throwing her arms around his torso, he reciprocates and holds her tight. The man behind her tenses for a moment but the moment passes. "It's not every day you turn forty-five."

I glance over at Rem and see her watching Misa with such rapt attention I wonder if the girl can feel the eye on her. Rem looks over at me and the smallest, sincerest smile graces her lips and I find myself returning it, just a little.

Light chuckles warmly as he releases her. "That's very true, Misa." He looks at the other man. "It's good to see you, too, Hideki."

"Thanks, Light," says Hideki as he steps forward and wraps an arm protectively around Misa. "Sorry the boys couldn't make it, but they wanted us to tell you happy birthday for them."

Light smiles. "It's too bad they couldn't make it, but I'm glad they're doing well." He then enters the crowd likely in order to mingle, I watch from my perch as he greets his guests and I see his eyes misting over.

I look at the crowd and recognize quite a few of them immediately. I see Light's parents Sachiko and Soichiro, both with white hair now and more wrinkles, but they still seem very much in love smiling proudly at their son. Aizawa and his wife are standing close by, an adult woman and young adult man standing with them. Mogi is there too, a large hand resting on his small wife's shoulder, two adult women who look remarkably like him, stand with them. Ide is standing with another man smiling at Light happily. Matsuda rushes forward and enthusiastically shakes Light's hand, Raku comes up and they hug quickly, while three boys of varying ages stand behind them like ducklings. The eldest one I recognize as Koji. Another man and woman come up to stand with Matsuda and his family. It takes me a moment but I realize they are Raye Penber and Naomi Misora, but now her last name is Penber, and they have two young women with them who look like their mother.

They too shake Light's hand as the crowd begins to mingle, and another couple with a child comes up as well. I have to laugh when I see them, the man is Mikami and the woman is Takada, and by the way they are holding hands I can only assume they are together and that the young teen is their son. Everyone around Light is speaking to him with friendly looks on their faces, like this is completely normal, and honestly, I bet it is; since the Death Note never found its way into Light's possession, it only stands to reason that the people affected by him through its influence would be affected by him by a different means. Suddenly the crowd parts as a man with dark hair emerges from its depths, his dark eyes sweep over Light as he slowly makes his way to him, his posture bad as he walks; in the light I can see glints of silver mixed in with his inky locks, he looks somewhat older but other than that I know who he is.

"Ryūzaki!" cries Light and he pushes past everyone in his way before embracing L like it had been years since he saw him. I watch their embrace, it is as warm as the one Light gave Misa but there is something more to it, I cannot put my finger on it, I can tell there are just enough differences to make it significant. Either way, I am glad to see Light and L on good terms for once.

"Did you fear I wouldn't make it?" asks L, a warm chuckle follows his words.

Light looks a little bashful. "Honestly I did, you said you were so busy in India that I thought—"

L puts a hand on Light's shoulder. "Nothing would keep me from this, Light."

"I'm glad," says Light then he puts an arm around L's shoulders, directing him towards Matsuda and Misa.

"Your present should be here soon," I hear L say above the crowd and Light looks confused.

"You got me a present?" he asks. "I've told you before that you don't have to do that, Ryūzaki, it isn't necessary."

"I think this time it is," says L with a small smile. "Besides, it's not like you can return this one."

Light does not press further, instead he enjoys the various conversations going on around him, smiling and laughing though I can tell something is amiss. Every so often, he will let his guard down for a split second and look sad, as if everything is nearly perfect except for one thing and it is that one thing that is nagging at him.

Suddenly there is a sound behind me and I turn my head to see the front door opening, a young man I vaguely recognize steps through with a couple of suitcases in hand and he puts them down quietly, as if trying to sneak in completely unnoticed. His plans are ruined moments later as a blur comes streaking through the door, rushing past him and heading straight for Light.

"Dad!" the blur shouts before tackling Light to the ground, pinning him there. For a quick second, Light looks annoyed but when he sees the blur's face, instantly all of his annoyance is forgotten, replaced by tears as he holds who knocked him down tightly in his arms. It turns out to be a fully-grown woman.

"Oh my God," he says as he pulls away to look at the woman still sitting on top of him. "I didn't think . . . damn it, why didn't you . . .?"

The woman laughs and my back straightens at the sound, I know it, and I know it well. As the two of them stand up, I see the woman's face and I realize immediately who it is.

"Noriko, you should have called," Light chides playfully, an arm still wrapped around her shoulders. "I would have come and picked you up at the airport."

"But that would have ruined the surprise," counters Noriko and she smiles at L. "You can thank him for this, it was his idea to fly me back in from England."

Light looks at L, who merely shrugs before getting swept up in another tight embrace, Light whispers something that makes L blush before being released.

"Nori!" shouts Misa when she sees the young woman. The two women embrace, it is not as familiar as the embrace they had shared with Light and others but that does not seem to bother either of them. "It's so good to see you, your father's missed you so much. Not that he'll admit it."

Light rolls his eyes. "Noriko knows exactly how much I miss her, I tell her everyday when she calls. Although I should have known something was up when you only spoke with me for a couple of minutes this morning."

Noriko smiles broadly. "You're losing your touch, Dad. Ryūzaki would have figured it out almost instantly!"

Misa snickers as Light groans, L smiles innocently enough at Noriko's compliment.

I feel something on my shoulder and I look to see Rem's hand, I look at her and she seems to understand how relieved I am at this turn of events. It is a rather sweet moment, even if we cannot be part of it ourselves.

"Ritsu, it's good to see you," says Light, when he sees the young man hiding behind Noriko. He steps forward and shakes the younger man's hand, "I'm glad you could make it out here as well."

"As am I, sir," says Ritsu, sounding a little afraid but he seems calm. "I think you should know that halfway through the flight, Nori was going to hijack the plane and fly it herself, she was so fed up with its apparent slow pace." He notices Noriko glaring at him and he simply shrugs. "Those were your words not mine, dear."

"Well, I was just excited to see my father," argues Noriko as Light takes her again in his arms. "And I wanted to make sure we got here before someone ate all of the cake." Her eyes rest on L who winks at her.

The people around them laugh and I grin, that certainly sounds like Noriko. She looks the same, her hair still so very similar to Light's and her eyes that unique shade between his and Misa's, but her face seems to have matured. Noriko no longer has the face of an older teenager; instead she looks like a wise and well-bred woman, with features that amplify this a hundred times over.

"You have no idea how happy I am that you're here," says Light, kissing her temple. "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you, too," says Noriko as she wraps her arms around Light. "And Dad, you won't have to miss me anymore, I've been accepted for a position here once the term ends and I graduate." She then pulls away a little so she can see his face. "Ritsu's been accepted for medical school here in Japan as well." Then she holds up her left hand and even from where I am perched, I can see something glitter on her hand.

Light looks at the ring then he glares at Ritsu who seems on the verge of running away but he holds his ground, looking right at Light. The boy is braver than I would have been.

Noriko rolls her eyes at her father's antics. "Now Dad, Ritsu and I are older than you were when you had me, so don't even think of trying to convince us that we're too young for something like marriage. If you try, then we'll just elope and move somewhere else."

Light sighs and shakes his head as he once again embraces Noriko. "You might be growing up but you'll always be my little star, Nori, and I couldn't have asked for a better birthday surprise."

I make my leave then, content with the knowledge I have acquired. Rem opts to stay behind and I do not mind, she has earned the right to watch over the human she so deeply cares for. I would do the same if my life were not at its end. Everyone's lives seem to have worked themselves out for the better, all thanks to the brave young woman who sacrificed herself, not even knowing if she would exist in the new world she created. Noriko was indeed the Messiah Light desired, just not in the way he imagined; instead of heralding in his rule as Kira, she ended it before it could truly start. With her dying breath she brought in a world free of the Death Note and Kira's influence, allowing those who would not have had a chance to live and have lives they could never imagine. I fly away from all of that towards the moon, my heart heavy as I feel myself disintegrating like few _shinigami_ have experienced. I do not know what awaits me on the other side but I can go there happy.


End file.
